Bird Flu Center

Spread across the world’s largest archipelago, consisting of more than 18,000 islands in Southeast Asia, Indonesia could be taken into consideration for many different reasons. Placed in a region of historical importance, anciently traversed by an important trade route to China, it was a thriving place for Hinduism and Buddhism before coming under the influence of Islam. Nowadays, its population of 200 million people make it the post populous Muslim-majority nation anywhere in the world. However, this is not information you will come across if you search for this country in the news now. 2006 has brought Indonesia in the spotlight for the ravishing effect that bird flu has had in the region.

Although the virus was originally discovered in Hong Kong and China, different factors that are to be found in Asian countries, such as poor hygiene measures in populations living closely together and relying heavily on backyard poultry raising, have rapidly spread the disease across the entire continent. While last year Vietnam was the most heavily hit country, Indonesia and Thailand have proven unable to contain the disease in recent months. Indonesia in particular is now facing a severe crisis, raising concerns at an international level. While the main causes for the situation are relatively obvious, Indonesian authorities seem unable to cope with the massive epidemic among poultry, which eventually causes human victims as well.

The main reason the country is often helpless in its attempt to contain the virus is financial inability to sustain an anti bird flu effort. The 2005 tsunami tragedy has severely impaired a country already facing financial difficulties. With thousands of victims and people left with no shelter, as well as major infrastructures to rebuild, an epidemic of massive proportions is not what the government would have been glad to face. Avian influenza is spreading rapidly and one of the basic measures that are to be taken is a rapid and complete culling of the birds in the affected areas. However, this requires the government to reimburse the owners for the killed birds. In a country where most of the population depends heavily on raising domestic poultry, this adds up to quite a hefty amount. It seems what a peasant receives for every bird is now little more than one dollar. In these conditions many  choose not to allow the culling of the birds.

Another issue is sending the message across to the entire population. Avian flu prevention requires education of the population, especially in a country with a large percentage of rural population. However, the isolation of many provinces and lack of coordination between the government and local authorities often lead to inefficiency of flu prevention programs. Cultural differences among Indonesia’s population only add to the obstacles that officials are facing.

In May, a case of particular importance drew the world’s attention again. A entire family of eight from North Sumatra fell victim to the disease and raised concerns that the virus had been transmitted from person to person. This is the biggest concern that experts have about the virus. If the illness can be transmitted among humans, then a pandemic is one step away. However, the case was the only one to be reported so far and it is not yet clear what the circumstances were. In recent weeks, Indonesia’s death toll has risen rapidly to 46, the highest in the world. 29 out of the country’s 33 provinces have been confirmed to have bird flu outbreaks and these worrying figures have prompted the government to launch a massive campaign against the disease. The plan is to vaccinate around 300 million poultry, starting this month and continuing all the way to December. A nationwide bird flu education is also on the table, with the focus on rural farmers and their families.

Although the issue may at times seem out of control in Indonesia, a look to the example Vietnam has given is encouraging when it comes to fighting the disease. Although suffering heavily after massive outbreaks, strict prevention and surveillance measures, as well as quick action after the discovery of new infected areas, have kept the country clean of any new human cases this year. Indonesian authorities hope that the disease’s spread can be at least slowed down, as eradicating of the virus looks impossible. Time will tell if success is possible in this undertaking.