UNICEF Tasks Media Practitioners on Bird Flu

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in conjunction with Radio Nigeria, Enugu at Awka, Nigeria, convened a one-day workshop for 60 Nigerian journalists on the topic of reporting avian influenza news and issues in Nigeria. The interactive session was used to call on media practitioners across the country to be more proactive in reporting issues of the disease in order to avoid a panic situation among the populace.


UNICEF charged the mass media to develop and implement an integrated communication plan for the prevention and containment of the disease, particularly emphasising wider communication programme formats to package and present reports concerning the disease in a "friendly manner using the language of the people". The session emphasised communicating behaviour change to provide personal protection and prevent the spread of bird flu, e.g., the need for people to avoid contact and consumption of sick or dead birds, as well as discontinuing the use of bird droppings as fertiliser in areas of reported outbreak of the disease.


UNICEF called on the federal government to set up avian influenza crisis centres in all the 774 local government areas in the country and adequately fund them. The organisation also called for increased funding of media houses in the country for an effective and sustained campaign on the disease to bring about behavioural change among Nigerians, particularly in handling poultry products.


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