avian flu is a real threat for Africa

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Concord Times (Freetown) ANALYSIS March 6, 2006

Posted to the web March 6, 2006 Abduali Bayratay Freetown

The avian flu is a real threat for third world or developing

countries. Sierra Leone, one of the least developed countries in the

world, is particularly at risk. Abduali Bayratay dissects the problem.

As fears loom over threats of a global pandemic as a result of the

avian influenza, also known as the bird flu, health experts and

officials around the world have held and continue to hold series of

conferences and workshops in order to strategize on how to handle

this health hazard.

As rich western countries stockpile temiflu, the drug commonly used

in the event of an outbreak Canada for instance is working closely

with the World Health Organization (WHO) in consultation with

international partners like the European Center for Disease

Prevention and Control to monitor the safety of poultry products in

order to ward off the spread of avian flu.

Whilst efforts of the African Union could be lauded for discussing

the issue at different fora, the looming question what practical

strategies have African countries put in place beyond political

rhetoric in readiness for this pandemic? Have they, for instance,

requested from world bodies like the WHO and the UN including

contacting both bi and multilateral partners for stockpiles of

temiflu in the event of severe outbreaks?

In Ghana, for instance, the emergence of avian flu in neighboring

Nigeria altered health authorities to embark on massive primary

health education for especially the rural population on the need to

wear gloves when handling raw meat, the avoiding of rubbing one's

eyes after contact with suspected sick bird, and the emphasis on

basic hygiene. Above all, the government has made provisions to

quarantine patients suspected of suffering form the bird flu.

In Sierra Leone, concerns are particularly heightened since the

country's leaders are notorious for mismanaging crises rather than

preventing them. This thinking is demonstrated by the fact that apart

from a paper presented to colleague doctors by the Director of

Disease Prevention and Control, Dr. Alhassan Sesay a fortnight ago in

which he professionally discussed the threat of the bird flu and its

consequences in the event of an outbreak, the authorities are yet to

take the cue from the Ghanaian example by sensitizing the masses

about the disease. What one sees is merely a drop in the ocean

education of the general populace, which is largely a one-off thing.

Many people do not even understand what bird flu is according to a

recent undertaking by Concord Times 'Vox Pop' column.

As such, the public is desperately yearning for answers to looming

questions of how many stockpiles of temiflu have the government

secured an outbreak occur? How many laboratory facilities are in

place so that health officials would be able to test for the virus in

order to avoid the expensive mistake of indiscriminately killing

poultry that may otherwise suffer from Newcastle (a disease

associated with birds and to a large extent resembles the avian flue)

that would further impoverish poultry farmers? What compensatory

plans have been put in place, if any, that would encourage farmers to

destroy their poultry without hesitation in order to control, if not

combat, the disease in the event of an outbreak?

As debates on the avian flu continue, the most vulnerable, as usual,

are people in third world countries, especially those in Africa,

where poverty balloons daily to some unprecedented proportions.

As such, prevention is all what is feasible for now within the

circumstance of the threat of the disease since posterity will surely

not forgive any form of negligence on the part of any irresponsible

government that would sit by and see its people disappear. This is

against the backdrop that the continent is still grappling with the

fight against AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and typhoid fever, to

mention but a few, that have already claimed the lives of innocent

children and their families.

Complementing the above is the fact that Africa's future rests in the

hands of the continent's youthful population; one that has already

suffered in Africa's debilitating civil conflicts. Thank God Africa's

consolation this time round is that the continent has not been

stigmatized for the origin of the disease and its pandemic threat.

The avian influenza virus called HN51 is spread through secretions

and droppings of birds. Experts agree that the chances of the virus

transferring from birds to humans are very minimal. The danger,

however, is that, if a person with the human influenza contracted the

bird flu, then there is the potent possibility that it will become

deadly hence the rationale behind the need for the preparedness of

countries for its outbreak.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200603061036.html