Empowering Staff to Prevent and Manage Avian Influenza

This largely intra-organisational effort emerged through a participatory process. In order to investigate the type of AI activities the country office could usefully become engaged in, CSSS undertook an inclusive process involving the leadership team, sector coordinators, project managers, and other staff. Prevention and management activities to be carried out were discussed, and strategies for carrying them out developed. The resulting Preparedness Plan was reportedly widely discussed and distributed among CSSS staff; organisers contend that responsibilities were clearly defined, and the line of communication was delineated in order to avoid any confusion during the course of the implementation of the activities.

These avian flu empowerment activities drew on a variety of communication media. For example, CSSS organised awareness sessions and held meetings with staff to provide them with AI updates. Also, CSSS pre-positioned AI Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits in all field offices, provided staff with basic
instructions on how to wear and remove these kits, and worked to foster awareness on when the kits should be worn. In addition, short messages and resources were circulated to staff via email, and printed copies of AI reading materials were made available in each field
office.

One strategy for extending this educational process beyond the organisation itself involved encouraging programme staff to integrate AI messages into their current activities. For instance, in South Sudan, CSSS undertook an effort to raise the awareness of community animal health workers about the disease.

Networking and collaboration with other organisations are also central. The country office is a member of the OCHA [United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] Avian Influenza Network, which is investigating preparedness measures for regional and country actors. CSSS is also a member of the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations] Avian Influenza network, which is working in collaboration with the government of South Sudan to develop a response to the September 2006 AI outbreak among poultry in Juba. (Click here to read about this outbreak.)

Health.

According to CSSS, the influenza virus subtype H5N1 - if it acquires the capability of causing sustained human-to-human transmission - could pose a serious threat to CARE staff based in South Sudan and Somalia, where there is a serious lack of basic infrastructure to support the prevention of the spread of the disease.