Bird flu experts are pushing for Balinese villages to receive training in detection and prevention of Avian Influenza (AI) to minimize the impact of a possible epidemic on the island.

SICK JOKES: Two performers at a Bondres traditional comedy performance Wednesday at Takmung village in Klungkung tell audiences about early detection of Avian Influenza. (JP/Dicky Christanto)

"We must continue empowering these villagers so that they will know what to do and how to do it if someday the disease breaks out. Quick and measurable responses are needed as these villagers will still be the first line of defense," said I Gusti Ngurah Mahardika, the island's leading AI researcher.

"Therefore, their knowledge on how to detect and prevent this disease is a must," the chairman of the Bali branch of the Center for Human Resource Development and Applied Technology (CREATE) said, speaking at a presentation declaring the village of Takmung a "AI quick response village".

The disease has claimed the lives of 108 people throughout the country while 133 others have been listed as bird flu suspected patients. In Bali, two people died from the disease last year, according to reports.

I Wayan Sukadana, head of Takmung village, said an education campaign had helped the village understand practical measures to combat the disease.

"Before we received training, we keep underestimating the disease, we keep saying to ourselves that it would not reach our village. But now, we realize that we can't afford to do that as it could destroy most of our livelihoods," he said.

Currently, Takmung is the home of more than 10 poultry breeders of around 10,000 poultry. It lies in Klungkung regency, a 45-minute drive from the island's capital, Denpasar.

Wayan said villagers had been told by the trainers that wild fowls or poultry that weren't kept in cages could be a source of the disease. "Now we have put our 10,000 poultry in netted cages around the village."

"Now we are also creating a local regulation that will enable local officials to confiscate poultry that wander outside the netted cages. I hope it will help locals become more disciplined in guarding their poultry," he said.

Takmung's "AI quick response village" award ceremony had also featured plays by school children, traditional dance and comedy performances which all emphasized the importance of AI early detection and prevention.

Commenting on the performances, Mahardika said they were strategic ways to promote bird flu detection, as people were generally more open to messages conveyed through traditional performing arts.

Gusti Agung Ayu Chandra Devi, one of the performing school children, said she was glad to inform her friends about how to deal with dead poultry.

"At least I can tell them what to do when facing a similar situation," she said.

Three other villages were also declared AI quick response towns, Beraban village in Tabanan regency, Sedang village in Badung regency and Banyubiru village in Jembrana regency.

Mahardika said Beraban was chosen after two people died from AI in the village, while Sedang, Takmung and Banyubiru were known as poultry trading centers.

CREATE Bali branch and the National Committee on Avian Influenza, with support from the government of Canada and UNICEF, had conducted a series of workshops on AI detection and prevention targeting the villagers of Takmung since February this year.

Included in the workshop was training for locals to inject medication in poultry with bird flu symptoms. Mahardika said the training was aimed at establishing a pool of experienced medical volunteers that would be able to assist in an emergency.

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