Perspectives & Communication Issues From Avian Influenza Perspectives & Communication Issues From The Commercial / Private Poultry Sector Reframing the Avian Influenza Communication Discourse Rome , Oct. 27 , 2006 World Congress on Communication for Development Musa Freiji Wadi Group Wadi Holdings

Outline AI Commercial Poultry Sector Prepectives - AI is a viral disease of poultry - Eradication of AI - Vaccination - Human Pandemic AI Commercial Poultry sector Communication Issues - Criteria to establish sound communication measures - Impact of improper communication - Balanced communication Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

AI Commercial Poultry Sector Perspectives AI is a viral disease of poultry - Over 200 million birds died or were stamped out. - Only a couple of hundred persons died due to AI vs over 5 million dead persons due to human influenza within 10 years. - Hundreds of thousands of poultry workers were and are exposed to AI by handling diseased birds with virtually no casualties. - Human casualties have been restricted to villagers living with their birds and most likely susceptible due to other diseases. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

AI Commercial Poultry Sector Prespectives (Cont. ) Eradication of AI - Up till now FAO/OIE approach is eradication of the disease via stamping out of diseased and surrounding flocks . - Eradication policy failed to stop the disease from spreading within countries and to new countries . - Idea of eradicating AI like Polio, for example, is rather absurd . - Sticking to the AI eradication policy alone would amount to eradicating all flying creatures from the globe. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

AI Commercial Poultry Sector Prespectives (Cont. ) Vaccination - Avoiding vaccination has caused the poultry industry in the world losses that exceeded $ 15 billion so far. - Vaccination proved to reduce spread of AI. - Vaccination proved to reduce shedding of AI. - Reduction of spread and shedding reduce human exposure to AI and ultimately human cases. - The idea that vaccines hide the AI virus proved outdated . - Vaccination may not obstruct stamping out policies if and when necessary . The DIVA test uncovers the positives . The sentinels should be avoided. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

AI Commercial Poultry Sector Prespectives (Cont. ) Human Pandemic - The commercial poultry sector recognises the danger of AI mutation and is not blind of the consequences . - The sector has not been responsible for introducing AI in almost all countries . Rural poultry was . - It is in the interest of the sector to do anything to aviod human casualties, let alone a pandemic . - Had it not been for human casualties and a possible pandemic , AI would not have alerted governments or UN agencies. - However , sacrificing all commercial poultry shall not prevent spread of AI or human casualties nor a possible pandemic . Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues Criteria to establish sound communication measures - Availability of competent officials and staff ● This represents a stumbling block in all the developing world. ● For sound measures to be executed we need : Knowledegeable officials to issue appropriate directives and legislations. Honest staff to properly execute the directives and legislations. Absence of corruption. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Criteria to establish sound communication measures (cont ) - Availability of competent officials and staff (cont.) ● Resorting to relevant UN agencies is of great help . ● The private sector intervention, espacially if represented by a united voice can partially compensate. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Criteria to establish sound communication measures (cont.) - A political will to implement sound measures Lack of trust between government officials and private sector complicates matters. ● Since the private sector is the real beneficiary or real loser, politicans should seriously negotiate with the sector and issue appropriate agreed upon directives and legislations . ● Producer and consumer interests should not clash but should become complementary. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication in certain M.E. countries- Egypt,Syria,Jordan & Lebanon. - Sequence of events In Sep. 2005 Turkey announced detection of HPAI H5 N1 without a sign of it in the above countries . ● Governments did not take any action of any kind. ● Media portrayed the hysterical scenarios of AI pandemic. Egg and poultry meat consumption plummeted to 50% of normal. ● Egg and poultry meat prices fell to 50% of normal. ● Production was reduced by molting layers and breeders, reducing breeder, layer and broiler placements and by early depopulation of all types. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - Sequence of events (cont.) As a result, governments formed Supreme national Committees for combating Avian influenza headed by ministers of health not agriculture. None included any poultry private sector representative . The Supreme Committees formed Technical Committees from the heads of departments at ministries of health, agriculture , environment and interior. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - Sequence of events (cont.) The Supreme Committees passed following directives - Prevented wild bird hunting-( was not respected). - In Syria and Jordan ordered live bird outlets to be shut down-( highly implemented). - Only in Jordan, ordered a strategic stock of H5N2 vaccine. - Laboratory diagnostic facitilies were upgraded ; FAO/OIE workshops conducted ; training of laboratory staff implemented. - Jordan ordered vaccination of all classes of poultry upon detection of one incidence in the north of the country . - Syria and Lebanon remained clean so far. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - Sequence of events (cont.) ● In Egypt , the Supreme Committee announced on Feb, 17 , 2006 18 AI H5N1 outbreaks in 3 governerates, and took following measures in coordination with the Technical Committee : - Ordered closure of all live bird markets and outlets , knowing that 80% of poultry are sold via such markets. - Imposed stamping out of all classes of poultry within a diameter of 2 km from any infected farm or spot. Ordered stamping out of all poultry on roof tops in cities- ( was not properly executed ) . Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - Sequence of events (cont.) ● In Egypt ( cont. ) Ordered Housing of pigeons, rural free range poultry and water fowl- (was not properly executed) . Delayed announcing the compensation scheme for two weeks which was only 5 Egyptian Pounds per bird over 30 days of age ( $0 .87). Was late in approving importation of H5 vaccines. Restricted importation to H5 N1 available only at one company in China. Debated against the use of the vaccine for weeks inspite of the widespread cases like fire. Restricted the use of vaccine to Grandparents and Layer Parents after 3 weeks of the onset of the disease. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - Sequence of events (cont.) ● In Egypt ( cont. ) Was forced to accept vaccination of Breeders and Layers but only after 60% of the Layer population and 20% of the Breeder population died or was stamped out. One month after the onset of the disease, the Committee approved widespread vaccination to all classes of poultry. However there was no vaccine available. Having noticed the impossibility of carrying on with the zoning policy after 2 months, the Committee reversed its decision to only stamp out the infected farms. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - Sequence of events (cont.) ● In Egypt ( cont. ) Nine weeks after the onset of the disease, the Committee requested vaccination of all poultry in the rural areas. This request was not properly and effectively implemented. Refused to impose one age group on any farm as a means of helping biosecurity. Refused to impose destruction of widely spread pigeon towers. Did not follow up the immunity level of the vaccinated flocks as a means of assessing the efficacy of the only vaccine used for ten weeks. AI infection kept on appearing in vaccinated flocks even after 8 weeks of vaccination. This prompted revaccination of almost all grandparents, parents and layers. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - The economic impact in Egypt ● Before the AI infection 50% drop in egg consumption. 60% drop in poultry meat consumption. Poultry Industry losses amounted to $ 520 million during the period Sep. 2005 to Feb. 2006 (Ministerial Council – Information center ). Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - The economic impact in Egypt (cont.) ● After the onset of AI Tens of cases were reported every day resulted in a real massacre via the stamping out policy within one week. 75% drop in egg consumption 85% drop in poultry meat consumption Day old chicks were totally dumped for 3 weeks. Most hatcheries stopped operating for 6 more weeks. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - The economic impact in Egypt (cont.) • After the onset of AI ( cont. ) -Vaccine available was officially sold to certain farmers at USD 74/1000 doses. However was traded in the black market at USD 95/1000 doses. - Compensation of only 5 pounds per bird represented : • 25 % of average value of layers. • 40 % of average value of broilers. • 10 % of average value of breeders. • 3 % of average value of grandparents. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - The economic impact in Egypt (cont.) • After the onset of AI ( cont. ) Farmers started moving their birds to outside the zoned areas. Villagers hid their poultry in their homes . The media covered the massacres and hence created a state of panic and dismay. This deepened the fear amongst consumers to eat chickens or eggs. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - The economic impact in Egypt (cont.) • After the onset of AI ( cont. ) The General Organization for Veterinary Services issued weekly reports on losses . Report released on 29-4- 2006 revealed following figures: • 8.5 million broilers = 50 % of the numbers present • 18.0 million commercial layers = 80 % • 1.8 million native layers = 80 % • 1.2 million broiler breeders = 25% • 28 000 grandparents = 15 % • 425 000 ducks = 80 % • 110 000 turkeys = 80 % Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - The economic impact in Egypt (cont.) • After the onset of AI ( cont. ) - Medium and low income consumers were nearly deprived of animal protein between Oct. 2005 and May 2006. - 30% of the workforce in the poultry industry or 275,000 persons lost their jobs (Ministerial Council –Information Center). Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Impact of improper communication (cont.) - The economic impact in Egypt (cont.) • After the onset of AI ( cont. ) Poultry industry losses amounted to $87 million. Estimated losses to commercial farms during gradual restocking over one year is $ 174 million . - Alternative animal protein sources increased in price by 20% but was only purchased by A and B classes of consumers. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Balanced Communication - Measures by Governments Involve the private sector in decisions prior to issuing them . Impose housing of all commercial and non – commercial poultry of all types, including all rural poultry. Prevent wild bird hunting . Generalize use of AI inactivated vaccines until absence of detection of live virus, for 6 successive months, and make it optional after that. Impose stamping out of all live AI carries 6 months after absence of detection of the live AI virus. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Balanced Communication ( cont. ) - Measures by Governments ( cont. ) Compensate fairly for all stamped out poultry . Impose and execute vaccination of all rural poultry on a regular basis . Impose biosecurity protocols on all commercial farms . Impose minimum distances between licensed farms . Close all non -licensed farms. Close all live bird markets and outlets. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Balanced Communication ( cont. ) - Measures by Governments ( cont. ) Stop issuing licenses to new farms in the densely populated areas . Impose one age group per farm on all types of poultry . Take charge of laboratory diagnostic costs of the surveillance scheme . Encourage establishment of slaughterhouses and distribution of fresh and frozen poultry . Prevent poultry and pig farming on same farms with minimum distances between such farms. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Balanced Communication ( cont. ) - Measures by the Private Sector The Associations of Poultry Producers to form a special AI committee responsible for dealing and negotiating with any government body on AI issues. Be proactive in ideas and suggestions that would lead to appropriate decisions and legislations by government. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

Al Commercial Poultry Sector Communication Issues (cont.) Balanced Communication ( cont. ) - Measures by the Private Sector ( cont. ) Cooperate fully in implementing all sound measures to stop the spread of AI especially in area such as: • Biosecurity measures. • Surveillance schemes • One age group per farm especially caged layer complexes. Invest in modern broiler houses in remote areas to replace widely spread small broiler farms within the densely populated areas. Invest in modern slaughter houses to replace live outlets and markets. Musa Freiji Wadi Holdings Wadi Holdings

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