New Zealand: Pandemic Survival Roadshow

[Sally Furniss]

Pandemic Survival Roadshow opens in Canterbury

Press Release: Canterbury Civil Defence

Canterbury?s health and emergency management organisations are working together to educate communities in the region about the need to prepare for a pandemic influenza.

The Pandemic Survival Roadshow, built by Science Alive, is a hands-on community education programme geared towards educating and encouraging residents of Canterbury to be prepared for a widespread influenza outbreak.

The Canterbury District Health Board, South Canterbury District Health Board, Community and Public Health, Canterbury Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group, Environment Canterbury, territorial authorities, Science Alive, and Red Cross have worked together to create the roadshow. Officials from those organisations felt it was important to work together to deliver the message.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Pandemic Survival Roadshow opens in Canterbury

This evening I had the opportunity to see this very good Roadshow.

It consists of 5 hands-on exhibits covering Non Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI). For the effectiveness of NPI see this thread. http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21996.


The show also made use of the "Glo-box Handwashing Kit" It clearly demonstrated how much dirt was left on hands between the fingers and under the nails if hands were not washed well. http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17602

The glo solution was also used on hard surfaces such as door knobs and telephones.


C Cover your cough and sneeze - use tissues, dispose of them properly and then wash your hands

H Have healthy hands - wash your hands often and well.

I Isolate yourself - maintain personal space of 1.5 metres to minimise exposure to influenza virus from those who may be ill; stay home if you become ill.

R Reduce germs in your home and workplace - regularly disinfect common surfaces such as phones, remote controls, door knobs, light switches, toys, etc..

P Prepare yourself and your family - get vaccinated annually and create an emergency plan and kit for yourself and your family.


It will touring Canterbury until 2009

http://www.pandemicroadshow.org.nz/default.html

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Pandemic Survival Roadshow opens in Canterbury

Pandemic survival roadshow to tour

Emma Bailey - The Timaru Herald | Wednesday, 27 February 2008

The Pandemic Survival Roadshow will tour South Canterbury over the next two months -- beginning in Waimate next Monday.

Waimate was chosen as the starting point for the tour because of Dr Margaret Cruickshank's statue.

The statue is one of only two in memoriam for victims of the 1918 pandemic influenza.

It was built for Dr Cruickshank, who died in 1918 while serving her patients in the Waimate district.

When the influenza epidemic of 1918 struck Waimate, Dr Cruickshank worked night and day attending to patients until she herself fell a victim to influenza and then later died of pneumonia on November 28, 1918.

The roadshow is a hands-on community education programme geared towards educating and encouraging residents of the wider Canterbury region for a widespread pandemic influenza outbreak.

It is a cooperative initiative of the South Canterbury District Health Board (SCDHB), Community and Public Health, Canterbury Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group, Environment Canterbury, Red Cross and Science Alive.

"Initially, there was quite a bit of attention paid to `bird flu' in the media, but that interest has since died down. However, we in health and emergency management sector are still very much concerned about a pandemic, whether it be related to bird flu or not, and we need the public to be prepared," said SCDHB Emergency Planner Nathan Taylor.

With the availability of a `bird flu' vaccine still some time away, the danger of a pandemic still looms in New Zealand. The main focus of the exhibit is focused on how to prepare and what to do in a pandemic. However, while individual and household preparedness is important, community resilience is also a key component to fighting the pandemic.

The Pandemic Survival Roadshow tour will visit

Waimate from March 3 until March 8, at the Waimate District Council,

March 10 to March 14 at the Timaru Hospital main foyer,

March 15 to March 20 at Timaru District Library.

March 24 at the Mackenzie Show in Fairlie,

March 26 and March 27 at Twizel Library,

March 31 to April 4 at Waimate District Library,

April 7 until April 12 at Geraldine District Library and Service Centre

April 14 until April 19 at Temuka District Library and Service Centre.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Pandemic Survival Roadshow opens in Canterbury

Pandemic Influenza Roadshow in Southland November

Press Release: Southland District Health Board

Pandemic Influenza Roadshow on Display throughout Southland during November

An interactive roadshow promoting how to protect yourself and your family from seasonal influenza, and the ongoing risk of an influenza pandemic, will be on display at various locations throughout Southland during November.

The Southland District Health Board (SDHB) and Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group have jointly hired the Pandemic Influenza Roadshow display from the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group.

SDHB Emergency Planner Sandra Miller said the display is a valuable tool for highlighting how the community can keep influenza out of the workplace and their homes and was suitable for all ages.

“The roadshow experience is open to the whole community and features educational videos, information pamphlets and competitions, as well as health professionals on the spot to share their knowledge and give advice.”

She said invitations had also been distributed to key groups including health providers, primary and secondary schools, Civil Defence Emergency Management personnel and elderly support groups.

The Pandemic Interactive Roadshow will be operating during each of the venue’s normal operating hours and by appointment.

Anyone interested in booking a session should contact Sandra Miller on 027 600 6394.

Roadshow Schedule
Date Venue
03 – 05 Nov Gore District Council Building
06 – 10 Nov Southland Hospital
11 – 18 Nov Stadium Southland
19 – 20 Nov Fleet Hall, Riverton
21 – 24 Nov Presbyterian Church Hall, Winton
25 – 27 Nov Community Centre, Te Anau
29 – 30 Nov Queenstown Event Centre, Frankton


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[Shiloh]

New Zealand: Pandemic Survival Roadshow

Source: http://www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown...still-a-threat

Bird flu still a threat
Home ? News ? Queenstown Lakes
By Felicity Wolfe on Mon, 1 Dec 2008


Three years ago, bird flu - the H1N5 avian influenza virus which has infected 387 people around the world to date - made people very aware of the risk of a pandemic.

Now, that awareness had almost disappeared but the threat it posed was still present, Southland District Health Board emergency planner Sandra Miller said.

It was "only a matter of time" before the world - including Wakatipu - was struck by some form of influenza pandemic.

"The World Health Organisation statistics show there is generally a pandemic every 30 years," Ms Miller said.

"It has now been 37 years since the last one. We want to keep the fact of . . . pandemic influenza in people's minds."

To do that, the SDHB and Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group hired a roadshow from Civil Defence Canterbury to raise awareness and give out potentially lifesaving information.

The displays included interactive games showing what people needed to keep handy in case a pandemic forced them to stay at home.

There was also information on the benefits of correct hand washing and keeping a distance from people who were not well.

"The message is for people to stay away and not spread it."

The SDHB had organised alternative treatment sites which would be used to test for and treat people in the event of an outbreak of avian flu.

The Queenstown assessment centre would be in the Events Centre to keep infected people away from doctors' rooms and hospital sites where they would pose too much of a risk.

Although the roadshow was designed with avian flu in mind, Ms Miller said the principles applied equally to keeping healthy when there were outbreaks of seasonal influenza.

"A significant number of people die from seasonal influenza each year," she said.

By keeping at least 2m from infected people and washing and drying hands thoroughly, people would minimise their risk of contracting it.

One of the roadshow's more popular exhibits - a hand under ultraviolet light - illustrated the places often missed during hand washing.

Ms Miller said sanitising hand washes and wipes were not needed all the time but were useful.

There had been a lot of support for the roadshow in the month it toured Southland, she said.

Protect yourself
Five simple steps to protect yourself and your family. -

? Cover coughs and sneezes - use tissues and dispose of them properly. Then wash your hands.

? Have healthy hands - wash them often and well.

? Isolate yourself - maintain personal space of 1m-2m to minimise exposure to the influenza virus. Stay home if you are ill.

? Reduce germs in the home and workplace - regularly clean common surfaces such as door knobs, computer keyboards, light switches and toys.

? Prepare yourself and your family - create an emergency plan and kit.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: New Zealand: Pandemic Survival Roadshow

The SDHB had organised alternative treatment sites which would be used to test for and treat people in the event of an outbreak of avian flu.

The Queenstown assessment centre would be in the Events Centre to keep infected people away from doctors' rooms and hospital sites where they would pose too much of a risk.

In 2007 Southland District Health Board ran a "community-based assessment centre" trial in Queenstown

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32088