Domingo DC. Caro III

The politics of animal health communication

Jim — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:18:07 +0000

The following is an unedited reflection on the current crisis on “Swine Flu” or Influenza A (H1N1) intended to stimulate some debate on animal health communication, international coordination and crisis management.

As the world economy limps from the effects of the worldwide financial crisis, another crisis looms. A pandemic threatens to be full blown.

However, what makes this crisis so unique is how international organizations handled the issue. The WHO initially said swine flu was circulating from person to person. Immediately, pandemic level 4 was issued as a big cluster of cases were documented in Mexico.

The OIE, however, reacted that the virus was never isolated in animals thus, it is a misnomer to call it swine flu. It suggested that the disease be called “North-American Influenza.” The WHO after more than a week of referring to the disease as swine flu has now referred to the disease as Influenza A/H1N1.

Scientists are still struggling to understand the virus but are hypothesizing that the virus is a mutation between avian and human influenza. The viruses mutated in pigs and was transferred to humans. A link to the pigs has yet to be established though.

As a former communications officer for an organization that dealt with avian flu, I have witnessed how scientists struggled to understand the disease. During that time, there were fears of a pending pandemic that a message that will discourage risk behavior among the general public was warranted immediately. Despite lacking understanding of how to specifically address the disease, most communication campaigns focused on pandemic preparation.

There was nothing bad with having pandemic preparation-focused campaign, however, the key communication message that should have been developed was unwittingly left out–animal health communication messages. Biosecurity was promoted but most of the affected farmers were grassroots and the recommendations to improve biosecurity was not that feasible if not costly.

Attitude to animal health communication around the Region, specifically in Southeast Asia, might have also contributed to the failure of animal heath communication campaigns. While there is manpower problem in the Region, even if one country might be able to support communication work, the national animal health framework does not support one with a communication component more so one that is participatory.

Communicating development

Jim — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:54:03 +0000

Majority of the world’s population continue to live in poor, often times, harsh conditions. While developed countries have tried various strategies to help developing countries help themselves, the aid or assistance seemed to be futile as evident with the vicious cycle of poverty continually hounding these countries.

If one looks closer as to how development projects are implemented they often lack one of its most critical components–communication. Integrating a communication component in any development project is one battle won as this would enable beneficiaries to understand how they could achieve the project’s goal and subsequently sustain the development goal.

Development communication, therefore, is essential for any holistic-approached development initiative so as to strengthen any of its achievement.

Animal Health Communication

Jim — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:53:09 +0000

I’m currently working on a proposal to present animal health communication as a major field of study under development communication. The idea is similar to what has been long forwarded as public health communication. Now the difference is mobilizing people to strengthen animal health.