[Kabar-indonesia] RI pledges to make bird flu 'history, ' dismisses foreign criticism

[Joyo at aol.com]

also: Major obstacles remain in Indonesia's bird flu fight : UNICEF

Associated Press
September 1, 2006

Indonesia pledges to make bird flu 'history,' dismisses foreign criticism

JAKARTA, Indonesia Indonesia pledged Friday to eliminate bird flu as it 
launched a public awareness campaign about the virus, which has killed at least 46 
people in the sprawling country.
 
"We want bird flu to become part of history," said Bayu Krisnamurthi, head of 
the country's bird flu commission.
 
Indonesia, the country worst hit by bird flu, has attracted international 
criticism for not doing enough to stamp out the virus in its vast poultry stocks.
 
The "Be Aware of Bird Flu" campaign will feature TV adverts calling on people 
to report dead birds to authorities and wash hands after handling chickens or 
visiting markets, Krisnamurthi said.
 
The H5N1 virus has killed at least 141 people worldwide since it began 
ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003.
 
Most people have been infected after coming into contact with sick birds and 
the virus remains very hard to catch. But experts fear it could mutate into a 
form that spreads easily among humans, possibly sparking a pandemic.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Major obstacles remain in Indonesia's bird flu fight : UNICEF

Jakarta (Antara, Sept. 1, 2006) - Indonesia faces major obstacles in its 
fight against bird flu, the UN Children's Fund said Friday as officials reiterated 
calls for more international financial aid.

The government faces a "huge challenge" to teach the rural population about 
the danger of the H5N1 virus and to be more health-conscious, due to the 
country's massive size and diverse ethnicities, said Gianfranco Rotigliano, 
Indonesia's UNICEF country officer.

"This is the ultimate goal ... this is the key for attacking the issue for 
getting this country out of that threat," Rotigliano was quoted by AFP as saying 
at the launch of the government's new public awareness campaign.

"There are so many diversities. When you talk to different people, you have 
to use different languages in terms of the messages you convey," said 
Rotigliano, adding that officials should be more flexible in spreading the message.

Indonesia, the fourth most populous nation and largest archipelago, has
confirmed 60 cases of bird flu with 46 deaths so far, the highest number in 
the world.

While the H5N1 virus that causes bird flu does not spread easily among
people, the chance of a mutation occurring which will allow it to do so is 
heightened as more humans catch it from infected birds.

Scientists fear that if this occurs, a global flu pandemic with a massive
death toll could result.

The government said last month that approximately 30 million homes keep
chickens in their backyards and in some instances, many refused to turn in 
their birds despite offers of compensation.

Bayu Krisnamurthi, head of the national commission on bird flu prevention
tasked to run the campaign, refused to reveal costs of the campaign but
reiterated Jakarta's calls for more international financial support.

"A campaign for 220 million people requires a very huge fund. We are
inviting all parties who are concerned about the health and safety of many 
people to be involved," Krisnamurthi said without giving further details.

The government, which planned to cut its 2007 bird flu budget to 46.5
million dollars, will need up to 260 million dollars annually for the next 
three years to finance its anti-bird flu programs, said Krisnamurthi.

"It's up to the World Bank to provide which contribution they choose to
give ... this is a call to all our key partners," he told reporters in
Jakarta. 

------------------------------------------ 
Joyo Indonesia News Service
------------------------------------------