Literacy and Educational Materials: Avian Flu

The faith-based organisation SIL International (formerly Summer Institute of Linguistics) has produced a set of materials about avian flu risk and prevention designed for ethnic minority communities in Indonesia. Because of their linguistic and geographic isolation, those communities are typically the least likely to have access to preventive information. Yet they are the people at highest risk to lose flocks and family during an outbreak. Thus, according to SIL, "[t]hey need information in a language they understand in order to take preventative action."

So, Dr. Dianne Mathews, MD, MPH, an SIL International field member serving in Asia, and Dr. Indarto, the Indonesian veterinarian in charge of communicable animal diseases for Papua Province, collaborated to produce this "shell book" for anyone who seeks immediate use and for translation and distribution. A booklet and audio version provide basic risk and prevention information in story form, a means that many ethnic groups use to transmit information. The master copy of the booklet is diglot (English and Indonesian), so the story text could be translated into other languages. For example, a single local language edition could be produced or a diglot version could be produced by simply substituting the local language in the appropriate places in the master copy. Reproduction of the audio could include radio broadcasting.

Amongst the materials are: a fact sheet for community field workers, a risk and prevention booklet, a leaflet called "How to Avoid Avian Influenza at Home", a poster, and links to other resources. Illustrations for the booklet were done by SIL field personnel experienced in producing health and literacy materials. The two illustration sets reflect Papuan and Asian cultures but are, according to SIL, generic enough to be used as is or modified as needed for African and other ethnic groups.