1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000
You are watching UNICEF Television.

2
00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:07,000
Raising poultry is the main source of income for many here in Kota,

3
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,000
a village located in the European country of Georgia.

4
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,000
With this profession comes the danger of avian influenza,

5
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:18,000
the highly contagious disease that is harmful to both poultry and humans.

6
00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,000
With the support of UNICEF,

7
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,000
the Ministry of Education in Kota set up a two-day campaign titled

8
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:27,000
What We Have to Know to Prevent Avian Influenza.

9
00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,000
The campaign organized lessons in schools throughout the country

10
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:37,000
and gave information packages, calendars and posters to teachers and students.

11
00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:41,000
I welcome this program because I think children should be prepared

12
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,000
and because Georgia is on the path of migrating birds.

13
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,000
I think it's especially important for children in rural areas

14
00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:53,000
because they are more in contact with poultry.

15
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,000
The lessons learned were not just for children.

16
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:01,000
Parents were invited to sit in on an informational conference about avian flu.

17
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:06,000
Here students took the lead, sharing their own newfound knowledge with their parents.

18
00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,000
Campaign organizers have placed particular emphasis on educating children

19
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,000
as a way to spread awareness.

20
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,000
Children are the best channels of information

21
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:19,000
because with the information they get from the school,

22
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:24,000
with the communication materials that we are also providing and disseminating,

23
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:31,000
they are going back to their families and conveying, of course, all of these messages.

24
00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:38,000
Prior to starting the campaign, a UNICEF study found that only 5.5% of children ages 6 to 11

25
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:44,000
and just 9.1% of children ages 12 to 16 washed their hand after touching poultry,

26
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:49,000
startling figures that could translate into an increased risk of spreading avian flu.

27
00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,000
I learned if you want to enter the coop, we should have gloves

28
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,000
and we should cover our mouth with masks so that we don't get infected by the flu.

29
00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,000
And when we return home, we should wash our hands

30
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,000
and we shouldn't eat without washing our hands.

31
00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:05,000
Now, armed with the knowledge necessary to protect themselves

32
00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,000
and their families against avian influenza,

33
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:12,000
each one of these children is one step further away from the deadly virus.

34
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,000
This is Anoulika Okafor reporting for UNICEF Television.

35
00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,000
Unite for Children.