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Bird flu: Few more things to consider
2006-02-13 07:58:12
By Editor
Bird flu, that dreaded avian influenza which we read about and saw wreak havoc on poultry in some Asian countries, has spread to Africa.
Nigeria has been the first African country to fall victim after recent reports said three states of Kaduna, Kaduna and Plateau in the northern part of the country were grappling with an outbreak and ignorant villagers were carelessly burning dead chickens.
The disease is known to have originated in Asia where it killed about 88 people and infected another 165, before spreading to Turkey, Romania, Greece and Iraq .
Scientists caution that the disease is likely to degenerate into a huge human influenza that might kill millions, though the general feeling is that people should not panic.
We understand that the government of Tanzania is prepared for possible arrival of the avian influenza virus and we have no reason to start complaining or criticizing anyone.
Still, we believe that some measures need to be put in place and we don’t have to wait until an outbreak is reported.
If what we already know about bird flu is anything to go by, then we need to get rid of hundreds of ’migratory’ crows, flying between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
The birds scavenge and pick rubbish, dropping it randomly at residential houses and we think this could pose danger.
Some even fly into hospital wards, in case they find some food to grab and fly away with.
In this way, we are afraid to say that the birds freely come into contact with people, which could set a bad precedent.
However, if the crows pose no danger, experts should not hesitate to educate us on why we need not worry about these birds which live in the wilderness but hop into people’s compounds with litter.
In addition to government’ s preparedness, it is also important to educate rural communities about bird flu.
People who survive on game hunting and whose food include birds like guinea-fowl could perhaps be advised no to do so at this stage, until later, when the world is free from the threat.
This goes without mentioning that the entire country should be on the alert because poultry keeping is one of the common income generating activities.
Perhaps there is a reason for poultry keepers to give it a second thought.
Maybe experts again need to tell us that there is no reason to worry.
Take regional development seriously
While swearing in regional and district commissioners, on Friday in Dodoma, President Jakaya Kikwete warned that embezzlement of councils’ money was rampant.
District councils, the President warned, have not put into good use, money given to implement Primary and Secondary School Education programmes. Money for roads and TASAF has not yielded fruit .
This, we believe is a challenge to RCs, who are representatives of the President at regional level.
Their good performance will help boost the image of the fourth phase government. However, if they fail to deliver, it will be a blow to a government expecting to see sanity restored in the accounting of public funds.
The RCs will have to do ’field work.’ Instead of sitting in their offices, waiting to be briefed on certain operations or projects, they will be required to go out and see for themselves how the actual work done tallies with the money disbursed.
Councils are the heart of development in the regions.
Sensitizing the public on the need to demand and question about misuse of public money could enforce accountability in municipal councils.
If a school or dispensary begins to show some cracks only a few months after it was constructed, something needs to be known about the purchase of building materials etc.
Similarly a road that crumbles before it is completed is evidence of incompetent contractors.
We therefore urge the RCs to make sure that government efforts to pump money into municipal councils do not end up enriching unscrupulous workers.
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