AI.COMM - Avian and Pandemic Influenza Resource Link

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RESPONDING TO THE H1N1 PANDEMIC
The importance of being prepared was
dramatically demonstrated with the onset of
the 2009 H1N1 infl uenza virus in late April 2009,
initially in Mexico and the United States, when the
immediate need for communication tools for
community health workers arose. Since the fi rst
reports of the outbreak in Mexico and the U.S.,
AI.COMM quickly began adapting messages,
information sheets, and other guidance. Most
of these products – from posters, to fact sheets,
to training modules – that were developed and
adapted in response to the H1N1 pandemic
have been adapted and translated in nearly
20 languages – including Spanish, French, Thai,
Portuguese, Russian, Vietnamese, Arabic, Hindi,
Bangla, Urdu, and Swahili – and have been
introduced to many countries by local AI.COMM
staff and H2P Partners.
The overarching goal of
the materials was to provide
simple, instructional
messages in the hopes
of minimizing panic and
providing information on
actions various audiences
could take – especially
non-pharmaceutical
interventions – to help
contain infections and
prevent further spread
of the infl uenza virus.