A Myanmar-UN joint media training workshop, aimed at raising public awareness of bird flu, concluded here Friday.

The workshop was co-organized by the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD) of Myanmar and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Ms Elke Wisch, acting representative of the UNICEF, said communication is the first line of defense in the fight against avian influenza, and accurate information and informed reporting are vital in helping ordinary people understand the nature of the threat and the need to protect themselves.

The workshop, attended by over 100 media persons from private and state media, covered field trips to different poultry-related areas in Myanmar to allow the participants to put their newly learned skills into practice.

Myanmar declared in September this year as a bird flu-free country after confirming no virus detected in the country during a three-month program.

Myanmar was struck by an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu on March 8 in two divisions of Mandalay and Sagaing and since then altogether 342,000 chickens, 320,000 quails and 180,000 eggs as well as 1.3 tons of feedstuff were destroyed at 545 poultry farms.

Source: Xinhua