UN agency to lead in media project against bird flu

 YANGON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children´s Fund (UNICEF) will lead in a joint media project with Myanmar government and non-governmental media on prevention against bird flu among the public, a local weekly reported Monday.

    The 1.8-million-U.S.-dollar project will be joined by the government-run MRTV, Health Ministry and private video producers, the Voice quoted the UNICEF resident office as saying.

    The project includes shooting of video series on education against bird flu and its telecast, the sources said.

    In addition to the project, the UNICEF will also cooperate with the Myanmar media to hold a workshop on the prevention of the deadly avian influenza, the report added.

    Myanmar experienced two-month-long bird flu outbreak in March-April this year and was claimed to have been brought under control and restriction of movement in the 13 bird-flu-affected townships of the two divisions have been lifted.

    Since April 7, no new such case has been found until now, according to the Yangon office of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

    Myanmar reported for the first time on March 13 the outbreak ofH5N1 bird flu in two divisions of Mandalay and Sagaing as some 112chickens died of the disease on March 8 in a poultry farm in Pyigyidagun township in Mandalay.

    During the period, altogether 9,206 fowls from 408 poultry farms and 5,606 quails from 137 quail farms were culled and 330,000 fowls and 320,000 quails destroyed. Besides, about 100,000 eggs about 80,000 quail eggs were also destroyed, according to government statistics. Enditem