Avian Influenza Communications Workshop Concludes Ministerial Meeting Begins Thursday

On the eve of the APEC Ministerial meeting on avian and pandemic influenza, more than 60 representatives from APEC economies have been exploring the role of risk communications during an infectious disease outbreak.

The "Pandemic Preparedness Risk Communications" workshop took place in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on 2-3 May. Sponsored by Canada, the workshop was undertaken as part of the APEC Leaders' initiative on "Preparing for and Mitigating an Influenza Pandemic" that was endorsed by Leaders when they met in Busan, Korea, in 2005.

"Risk communications must be looked upon as a public health intervention that is equally as important as other interventions like social distancing and vaccination." said Ian Shugart, Chair of the APEC Health Task Force and host of the workshop.

"This workshop was designed to enhance risk communications and public awareness campaigns at a local level in areas where there is the potential for an avian influenza outbreak."

The workshop sought to build risk communication capacity, particularly in developing economies, by providing practical tools to help develop national and regional communications strategies.

"APEC is the perfect forum to deal with such a threat as avian influenza," Ian Shugart said.

"Any potential pandemic must be fought at a local level using skills imparted at this workshop, and at a regional level as is being undertaken by ministers later this week."

Nine APEC economies have suffered outbreaks of avian H5N1 influenza within bird populations, and four economies have experienced human cases of H5N1 influenza. In addition to the social costs, the spread of avian H5N1 influenza across Asia and into Europe has devastated the poultry industry in affected areas, resulting in economic losses upwards of USD 15 billion.

The workshop included a number of sessions addressing various issues related to effective domestic and regional pandemic preparedness communications.

These are skills that can then be dispersed by the participants of the workshop to communities in their local areas. Feedback from workshop will be provided to the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics that will take place in Da Nanag, on May 4-6.