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The Challenge
Since 1997 outbreaks of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza have resulted in the mass culling and economic loss of millions of livestock throughout the world. To date, 385 cases of human infection with H5N1 have been documented since the virus first re-emerged. Sixty-one countries and three continents have experienced outbreaks of the virus and 245 human deaths have been recorded. More than 150 million birds have either died of avian flu or been culled as a protective measure, afflicting a loss to Asian economies valued at $10-15 billion.
A total of 36 cases of human infection with avian influenza have been observed in 2008, with 28 fatalities resulting. The majority of these cases have been localized in Indonesia. Of the 61 countries affected by H5N1, 50 have developed strong control measures to remain outbreak free for extended periods of time. These accomplishments have been the direct result of coordinated surveillance, global awareness of the threat of pandemic flu and international financial aid to support avian influenza programs.
With over 200 million people spanning more than 17,000 islands, developing and implementing a coordinated response to avian influenza in Indonesia has been challenging. GOI has repeatedly cited a lack of resources and a decentralized political system as two reasons for having difficulty in combating the spread of the virus. Availability and dissemination of information has been limited at the national level and virtually non-existent at community levels as result of a limited financial and human resources.
CARE’s Response
Expanding its current partnership with the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, CARE’s response is to work in four sub-districts within Tangerang city, Banten, to create a pilot model that promotes AI awareness, prevention, surveillance and response in rural and urban communities.
To achieve the goal, the ACT project is working in three strategic areas:
Awareness and prevention at the community level
Through a comprehensive Behaviour Change Communications strategy, key prevention messages are spread at the village through community mobilizations and BCC technologies. Key leaders at the provincial leaders are involved at the early stage in order to gain their support and advocate for critical policies to support surveillance and behavior change.
The project will work together with sub-district and village level stakeholders such as local government; health, agriculture and veterinarian departments; and the Indonesian Department of Industry and Trade to undertake a series of district and village level training that focus to increase community’s knowledge in AI, to encourage the transfer of messages to the community level and to build the capacity of the district health offices, district agriculture offices and Deperindag (Indonesian Department of Industry and Trade) in conducting community mobilization trainings.
A series of supplementary trainings will be supported for the target communities that include village-based Food for Work group training and bio-security training for poultry vendors and village health committees, in which they learn how to detect early, notify and respond to suspected AI cases in high risk areas.
Early detection and case reporting at village level
Through various capacity building activities for mainly AI volunteers, health committees and local government staff, CARE will support the community to increase the capacity for early detection and case reporting of AI at the village level. Together with the communities, a sustainable work plan will be designed and followed up with monitoring and evaluation of the activities.
Rapid response planning
Through capacity building training, the project supports the communities in 4 sub-districts and 25 villages to prepare response plans at the sub-district and village levels. Leveraging its membership in the inter-agency AI network (AIC), CARE will further engage in dialogue with national and district governments about develop more comprehensive responses to AI in Indonesia.
Sector: Health, Agriculture & Emergency
Location: 25 Villages across 4 sub-districts within Tangerang city
Project Period: October 2006 to September 2009
Donor: CDC/Atlanta
Page last updated: January 2009
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