This initiative is premised on the conviction that equal access to simple and understandable messages should be available not only to people who can read or write but also to the more vulnerable communities living in the rural areas and workers in the poultry farms. Red Cross/Red Crescent believes that these people also have the right to know how to look after themselves and tell their families how to take measures to prevent and prepare for avian and human flu.

By using interpersonal communication, information and communication technologies (ICTs), and information, education and communication (IEC) materials, organisers are working to inform and motivate people to protect themselves in light of a possible bird flu pandemic; illustrations and examples of communication activities being carried out in the region include:

• Printed IEC materials: Branches of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) in Beijing, Sichuan and Anhui have produced printed pamphlets and booklets about the subject for distribution to the general public. RCSC Headquarters, with the assistance of the American Red Cross, is undertaking a national public awareness campaign that will standardise key messages and materials for avian influenza throughout China. One shipment of materials has already been distributed to Beijing and 17 provinces, and a second phase is expected to blanket the country with materials and broadcasts. In addition to setting up a telephone hotline, the Hong Kong branch of RCRS (HKRC) has produced and distributed 20,000 newsletters and 50,000 health tips cards to HKRC staff, volunteers, members and service recipients. HKRC youth and volunteers are distributing educational materials to the elderly and in schools. Clear, simple illustrations are used in many of these materials to share information in concise, appealing ways.
• Face-to-face meetings/trainings: The American Red Cross (AmCross), in partnership with the RCSC, plans to organise a 2-day national avian flu conference; the hope is that, at the conclusion of the conference, participants from the provincial RCSC branches will function as focal points for public education at provincial, county and village levels. To cite another example, the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia - PMI) is addressing the issue of human resource protection in case of potential pandemic by conducting staff orientation sessions in each district/branch (along with organising vaccination of its board members, staff, and key volunteers, and stockpiling masks). In December 2005, the VNRC organised a national forum involving branch representatives from 15 provinces most affected by the avian flu outbreaks, as well as representatives of relevant government authorities, traditional healers and community leaders (who shared their local knowledge on avian influenza prevention).
• ICTs: The Singapore Red Cross Society developed and placed simple, key messages on avian influenza prevention on its website. In addition, national societies in Southeast Asia are developing and implementing community-based education activities, in part by sharing examples of the materials and lessons learned with sister societies on a webpage devoted to the issue on the Federation's intranet (Fednet).

Red Cross/Red Crescent societies are seeking to integrate avian influenza messages and education into other, already-existing programmes. For example, Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL) has included avian influenza prevention messages in their community-based first aid programmes. Similarly, the Philippines National Red Cross integrated avian influenza prevention messages into their ongoing public health emergency programme. The DPRK Red Cross has integrated avian flu as one of the topics covered in the society's training modules on infectious diseases for household doctors. Finally, the VNRC plans to integrate avian influenza prevention messages into the national society's general health education activities.

Drawing on the participation and commitment of volunteers is a key component of this initiative. For instance, the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) plans to provide training for a total of 8,100 Red Cross volunteers nationwide (covering each state/division and township), as well as to develop a database of trained Red Cross volunteers who are available on call to provide services in case of potential pandemic. In addition, volunteers associated with The Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia - PMI) support monitoring of avian flu cases by reporting suspicious bird deaths to related departments for further coordination. (PMI estimates that, in the event of an epidemic, it could mobilise up to 56,000 volunteers to take action by providing information and first aid to the community.) In addition, The Philippines National Red Cross plans to launch intensive public education activities in selected cities, mainly in economically poor neighbourhoods, by mobilising volunteers previously trained under other health emergency programmes like the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) response.

Partnership is also a key theme, particularly when it comes to advocacy - developing national strategies for action and response. For instance, as part of its development of a national society plan of action on avian influenza public education and social mobilisation activities, the Lao Red Cross has created links with external non-governmental organisations such as the Academy for Educational Development (AED). Similarly, to gain leadership support, PMI plans to organise advocacy meetings for board members in each district/branch by inviting professionals from the Ministries of Health and Agriculture. Finally, Red Cross (currently represented by the Federation and American Red Cross) has been participating as a member of a United Nations (UN) subcommittee on collaborated avian flu communications strategies in China.

Health.

According to the Red Cross, since December 2003 avian and human influenza (virus subtype H5N1 AIV) has claimed a reported 83 human lives in East and Southeast Asia out of a total of 153 known human cases (per the World Health Organization, February 2006). At the same time, the culling of millions of domestic fowl in countries in East and Southeast Asia to curtail the spread of the disease is adversely affecting the livelihoods of thousands of rural farmers.

As part of a response to recent floods and earthquakes, Joint Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) and Federation teams visited rural households in Anhui, Guangxi and Jiangxi, speaking with vulnerable families and local government officials to gather further insight into the situation in the villages. They found that there are a number of challenges that will have to be overcome in educating rural communities about avian influenza. Households visited had "heard of" bird flu; however, understanding about bird flu was fairly superficial. As a reflection of that finding, most households were not practicing the main preventative measures against contracting H5N1 - such as by using soap and clean running water to wash their hands. Access to information and health care is also limited. Although some households possessed televisions, they relied on younger family members to operate them. Some households had radios but many households had neither, and a significant number of people could not read.