Afghan Women With Pluck Tackle Bird Flu (Not my pun)

[WhiteTara]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/15/AR2006041501088.html
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Raising chickens has always been women's work in Afghanistan, and in the past several years this backyard occupation has brought new independence and income to thousands of illiterate war widows who have few other ways to earn a living.

So when avian flu was detected here six months ago, and several cases of its virulent H5N1 strain confirmed by U.N. experts in March, ripples of rumor and panic coursed through the loosely organized groups of widows in greater Kabul who raise some of Afghanistan's estimated 12.1 million chickens and sell their eggs for 2 cents apiece.

For some, the first impulse was to hide, sell or destroy their hand-raised flocks. But in just a few weeks, radio ads, nonprofit groups and a roving corps of Afghan women trained by the United Nations as bird flu "sentinels" have taught the widows how to protect their chickens and themselves from catching the deadly ailment
snip
"We tried dozens of income-generating ideas for widows, from tailoring to bakeries, and this one has worked the best," Barker said. "Most widows have no access to land or capital, so they can't raise large animals like cows. Poultry has been such a great fit, so bird flu was a potentially devastating blow."

At a meeting of widows in Charai Qamber last week, it was clear that avian flu was a deadly serious topic. Half a dozen women said that without selling eggs, they could not buy laundry soap, salt or school supplies for their children. Halfway through the meeting, another woman arrived, looking nervous and holding up a sick chicken in a plastic bag. It was immediately examined and vaccinated, and she visibly relaxed.

good news for these women's survival and ability to make a living.

[Erika]

1. How very scary for the women and their families n/t

[Kutjara]

2. But how inspiring that...

...they are taking a pragmatic approach, closely watching their flock, and quickly bringing suspect birds to be vaccinated.

A refreshing change from the coverups, denials and hysteria we see elsewhere.

[WhiteTara]

3. yes, these women are being very pro active

to safeguard their lives.

There are also the problems of how to police informal markets that sell popular songbirds and high-priced fighting cocks, how to prevent the smuggling of untested or sick birds from city to city, and how to monitor migrating birds such as wild ducks that might land in ponds and contaminate them before moving on.

At this point, the FAO official said, avian flu has been contained here, no cases of human infection have been reported and information about the disease has reached much of the country. But there is still no vaccine available for healthy flocks and little international aid, and the government response has been somewhat slow and disorganized.

"The real success has come from the bottom," Verniau said. "We don't need an army of vets going out, because the women themselves have taken action, learned about the disease, and put a chain of reporting in place. They are incredibly motivated."