Pandemic Influenza Counseling Cards for Health Workers and Volunteers

Offered by the Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness (H2P) Initiative, this 12-page set of counselling cards features colourful illustrations, main points, and discussion questions designed to facilitate conversations about basic ways to prevent pandemic influenza. It is part of a series of low-literacy communication tools designed to be used in interpersonal communication at district and community levels. Example prompts included here for counsellors: "what do you see in these pictures?" and "what are the advantages of having only one family member be the caretaker for the sick family member?"

Launched in 2007 by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the H2P Initiative is an effort to reduce the risk of excess mortality from an influenza pandemic in over 25 countries with a focus on humanitarian coordination and community-level preparedness. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the overall coordinating agency, with participation by the CORE Group, InterAction, and AI.COMM (managed by the Academy for Educational Development, or AED). The United Nations (UN) agencies focus on national-level planning with governments and official technical and operational guidance around pandemic influenza.