30 May, 2007. Kyiv, Ukraine. In the framework of the campaign on prevention of the spread of avian influenza UNICEF produced the public service announcement (PSA) featuring Ani Lorak as well as posters for youth and children with Ukrainian celebrity on it.
“I’m always eager to give a support when somebody needs assistance. Moreover, I liked the idea itself. I received a great pleasure from the shoot and made friends with children who participated in the video. Children were very talented and their skills exited me a lot: the shoot took all day and it needs a strong commitment, but they behaved very professional”, said Ani Lorak after the shoot. “Sincerely hope that this video will help to prevent the threat of avian influenza pandemic in Ukraine”, added Ani Lorak.
United Nations Children’s Fund has started the campaign on prevention of avian influenza in Ukraine in May 2006. The campaign is being implementing in the 8 regions of Ukraine and AR Crimea has wide audience including children and youth.
The goal of the communication campaign is to increase the knowledge of the general public, and specifically children, on avian influenza and pandemic influenza in Ukraine in order to prevent its spread in the event of an outbreak.
While avian influenza is serious in itself, pandemic influenza, or a global outbreak of human-to-human transmission, remains a far greater risk to human life, with possibly several million deaths globally. International health authorities believe that a pandemic will occur but they cannot say when.
Despite the fact that avian influenza is a universally recognized problem, most of the former Soviet Union countries are not prepared for the pandemic influenza. Seven out of ten people who died of H5N1 virus in our region were children, that is why providing families with correct information is a crucial issue in Ukraine.
In response to the intensive spread of avian influenza around the world UNICEF is implementing a communication campaign on the prevention of the spread of avian influenza in more than 140 countries, including Ukraine. Campaign involves many Goodwill Ambassadors, and is being represented in Asia by Jackie Chang.
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For further information please contact Dmytro Konyk, UNICEF Ukraine, e-mail:
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, Anna Sukhodolska, UNICEF Ukraine, e-mail:
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30.05.07
