Effective Communication: A Tool for Minimizing Disruptive Market Impacts

Some Preliminary Thoughts

Katinka de Balogh and Satyajit SarkarEmergency Centre for Trans-boundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD)

FAO, Rome

Who provides the avian influenza messages?

• international organizations- WHO, FAO, UNICEF

• the governments- Ministry of Health- Ministry of Agriculture

• the private sector

the News Media

Priority messages and the focus of national AI communication campaigns

• Report unusual sickness/death among poultry, wild birds and other animals immediately to the authorities

• Separate your poultry species, from wild birds, new birds and living areas

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water

• Clean clothes, footwear, vehicles and cages with soap or disinfectant

• Do not sell or transport suspected sick animals

• Handle, prepare and consume poultry safely

• Burn and/or bury dead birds safely

• Seek treatment immediately if have fever after contact with sick birds

Anatomy of an HPAI Outbreak

Infection

Cases

Diagnosis

Disease Control measures

Outbreak Announcement

• Market shocks and disruptions, as consumers react

• (Illegal) movement, hiding, and home slaughter

Pub

lic a

war

enes

s

In most developing countries:

• National authorities communication only after first outbreak

• Campaigns focused on prevention of animal-to-human transmission and human infection.

• News media focused on human health/stories of human cases.

.

In most developing countries:

• The visual media focus on images of culling and disposal operations.

In most developing countries:

• Market disruptions, other than import/export bans, generally not a priority for government AI communication campaigns.

• Involvement of the commercial poultry sector key for mitigating market shocks and disruptions.

• Levels of public awareness, knowledge or perceptions of AI unknown

Objectives:

• Determine the level of Public Awareness, Public Concern and Consumer Behavior in various countries.

Scope:

• 19 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, Arab States, SE Asia and Australia

• About 19,000 respondents• Fieldwork in most countries conducted in May 2006

Ipsos Survey – International reactions to Avian Influenza

Objectives:

• Determine level of Avian Influenza risk perception of population• Determine level of knowledge regarding disease control policies

• Obtaining better understanding of consumer behavior following outbreaks

Scope:

• 25 EU member States + Bulgaria and Romania + Croatia and Turkey• 24,693 respondents• Fieldwork conducted in March – April 2006

Special Eurobarometer – Avian Influenza

70%

21%

9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Agree

Disagree

Don't Know

EU25: In the context of AI, the main concern of the EU public authorities is the health of citizens – Agree or Disagree?

EU citizens have a high level of trust in public authorities.

46%

43%

11%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Agree

Disagree

Don't Know

EU25: The EU public authorities tell everything they know about AI – Agree or Disagree?

EU citizens are divided regarding the transparency of the EU public authorities in respect to avian influenza.

76%

11%

13%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Temporary basis

Don't Know

Forever

EU25: Intend to eat less poultry for ever or only temporarily? (Sample: Those who declared having reduced consumption)

Majority of EU25 citizens have reduced their consumption of poultry meat only on a temporary basis

EU25: Consumption of poultry meat (April 2006)

COMPARED WITH SIX MONTHS AGO

33%58%8%Turkey

78%18%4%EU25

SAMELESSMOREPoultry meat consumption

Turkey Private Sector Response

“Healthy Chicken Meat Platform”

19 private companies accounting for 85% of chicken meat produced in Turkey.

Source: Healthy Chicken Meat Platform, Turkey

Turkey AI Outbreaks

First Outbreak – October 2005

• free-range turkey farm; no human infections• 2500 turkeys dead/culled; • 4000 poultry and pigeons culled in the area.• poultry sales dropped 50%, prices dropped 40%. • 2 months for market to recover

Second Outbreak – January 2006

• 2 human cases including 4 deaths• first human infections outside of Asia• disease spread and detected in many regions• 16 million birds culled

Source: Healthy Chicken Meat Platform, Turkey

Response to October ‘05 outbreak

• Intensive engagement with media: Declaration of ‘open house’ visits to poultry facilities for media

• On radios• 180 spots on national radios (October 18th-23rd)• 4740 spots on local radios (November 1st-6th)

• At points of sale50,000 posters

• In printed media• 5 announcements (7x45) in national newspapers • 9 (7x25) announcements in national newspapers

(October 16th-18th)

Source: Healthy Chicken Meat Platform, Turkey

Response to January ‘06 outbreak

Intensive campaign with USD 2 million budget; fronted by Ugur Dundar, Turkey’s most popular and trusted investigative journalist on

food safety and other issues.

Source: Healthy Chicken Meat Platform, Turkey

Extensive Visual Presence Feb 2006

TV: 893 TV spots (February 6th -28th)

Radio: 540 spots on national radios (February 6th-14th); 12,144 spots on local radios (February 6th-28th)

Billboards: 335 announcements (February 18th -March 4th)

Points of Sale: 50,000 posters

Leaflets: 1 million leaflets handed out (February 6th-8th)

Print Media: 20 announcements in 10 national newspapers (Feb 5th-6th)

Source: Healthy Chicken Meat Platform, Turkey

Intensive Media Coverage

Akşam

Milliyet

Radikal

Forum Diplomatik

Vatan

Vatan

Hürriyet

Referans

Posta

Source: Healthy Chicken Meat Platform, Turkey

Successful...?

• Public opinion poll by GfK Türkiye in Feb. 2006:• 92% found the TV spot “undertsandable”, • over 83% percent “memorable”,”informative”,“convincing”• 75% said that Uğur Dündar bolstered their confidence in the Platform

• News media coverage of campaign:• 129 newspaper reports (Jan 28th - Feb 27th).• 41 TV reports, for 7 h.15 min. (Jan 31st – Feb 27th)

• Poultry sales did get a boost within one week of campaign

• No significant impact of ‘poultry lunch’ hosted for parliamentarians including the Prime Minister.

Source: Healthy Chicken Meat Platform, Turkey

In conclusion...

• Strong national public education and awareness campaigns should be initiated even before outbreaks occur.

• Governments protecting animal and human health, in close partnerships with the private sector to address market issues.

• Need for country data on risk perceptions among public � tailorcommunication campaigns.

• Important that communication fosters trust, transparency and dialogue between national authorities, the private poultry sector and the public.This is key to mitigate disruptive market impacts.

Thanking you for your attention!

katinka.debalogh@fao.orgsatya.sarkar@fao.org

Turkey: poultry private sector campaign

Thailand: UNICEF handwashingcampaign

Cameroon veterinary department campaign

• Enjoy well cooked poultry