WHO/FAO/UNICEF Adhoc Meeting on Behavioural Interventions for Avian Influenza Risk Reduction

This document provides a summary and recommendations from the March 2006 Adhoc Meeting on Behavioural Interventions for Avian Influenza Risk Reduction, organised by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The meeting identified the priority behaviours that contribute to mitigating the spread of avian influenza.

Out of a set of seven behaviours previously recommended by FAO and WHO, four were selected as the highest priority key behaviours. These priority behaviours include:

• Report - report unusual sickness/death among poultry, wild birds and other animals immediately to the authorities;
• Separate - separate your poultry species from wild birds, new birds and living areas;
• Wash - wash hands frequently with soap and water; and
• Cook - handle, prepare and consume poultry safely.

The meeting recommended a focused approach to communication with a specific emphasis on the above behaviours.

The report also identifies three important premises in the campaign to control avian influenza:

1. Human behaviour to reduce the further dissemination of the virus needs to be addressed as an entry point for reducing the risk of human infection;
2. Information about the spread of the virus in birds and the specific risk factors that have led to human infection is limited; therefore, there will be a need to adjust the behavioural interventions as more evidence becomes available; and
3. Behaviour change requires addressing important socio-cultural and economic factors, such as compensation for reporting sick/dead birds at the community level.