Aid, Communication Key to Avian Influenza Prevention Success
Communication is critical to global avian influenza prevention, according to Dr. Faig Mamedzadeh, Deputy Director for the Republican Anti-Plague Station. “We know that avian influenza could be at the point of becoming the first pandemic of the twenty-first century, with profound consequences for the entire world. However, it is necessary to deepen the analysis of that threat, to dispel its myths, and to provide the population with accurate information on the disease,” he said at the Regional South Caucasus Avian Influenza Communication conference in Tbilisi, which was jointly organized by USAID, UNICEF, and the World Bank.
The event was held following the suppression of a second avian influenza outbreak in South Caucasus, to provide a forum for key players to share expertise and discuss a strategic plan for tackling the recurrent threat of avian influenza. The conference brought together 60 regional specialists and policymakers to address problems related to avian influenza in the region, with particular emphasis on avian influenza-related communication.
Azerbaijan was represented at the conference by a large group of the country’s government officials and public health experts. Specifically, 15 officials from Azerbaijani Ministries of Health, Emergency Situations, Agriculture, Education and Ecology, as well as eight experts from international agencies working in Azerbaijan participated in the conference.
Mamedzadeh shared his frontlines experience in Azerbaijan, where an awareness campaign has been implemented with promising results. “Through response measures jointly coordinated by the government and international agencies, we contained the danger of avian flu in Azerbaijan,” he told fellow participants.
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| Dr. Faig Mamedzadeh makes a strong case for effective education as a means to prevent avian influenza |
According to Mamedzadeh, Azerbaijan has made great strides in avian flu prevention in comparison to other countries in the region. “Compared to our neighbors, we achieved remarkable progress in avian influenza prevention, thanks to the support of development agencies such as USAID, the World Bank and UNICEF,” he noted. He added that there are numerous positive lessons that Azerbaijan can share with its neighbors.
Another delegate from Azerbaijan, Emin Shakhbazov, Deputy Head of the Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, explained that it was imperative to come up with a strategy that would work. “Our capacity to respond at the regional level should be strengthened. The conference was very successful as it helped to define crucial issues in avian influenza communication,” Shakhbazov reflected after the event.
The conference also allowed participants to develop recommendations and guidelines for effective avian influenza communication in the South Caucasus. These recommendations will be introduced shortly to the governments of the respective countries. Both Shakhbazov and Mamedzadeh believe Azerbaijan is well-prepared to fight the disease as the government and the development community have been collaborating extensively to achieve the highest results.
“Avian influenza prevention is a high priority for our state. Extensive collaboration with international agencies such as USAID, the World Bank and UN agencies has played a big role in both avian influenza prevention and veterinary services development. Today the epizootic situation is under control in Azerbaijan,” Shakhbazov stated confidently at the conference.
Mamedzadeh added, “I cannot say that avian influenza will never again arrive in Azerbaijan. None of the countries in the world is secure from the possibility of an avian influenza outbreak. But I am confident Azerbaijan is ready to fight the disease.”
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