Elmina, June 13, GNA- The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, on Tuesday observed that the bird flu situation now poses more of an economic threat to Ghana than health and called on the media to join in the public education to help stem the scare and panic on the disease.

He said, since the outbreak of the disease was announced in some neighbouring countries, most people became scare and refused to patronize poultry products, resulting in the collapse of many poultry farms and creating more unemployment in the society. Nana Ato, who made the observation at a press briefing on the bird flu at Elmina said the government, in collaboration with the various "bird flu task forces" have put in place a number of measures to prevent the disease from entering the country and that it behoves on the media to "drum down" the information especially to those at the grassroots level.

The forum, organized by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the national bird flu task force, Ghana sustainable change project with sponsorship from USAID, was to inform the media on how safe it was to eat chicken and other poultry products. He re-echoed that the disease was not in the country and that so far no human deaths had been linked to the disease in West Africa, stressing that the disease does not render poultry products totally unwholesome for human consumption as people might have perceived. He however, cautioned that the public should endeavour to cook their chicken and eggs very well before consumption, adding that that science had proved that heat of about 70 Degree Celsius can easily destroy the virus responsible for the flu in birds. Nana Ato said the government would not rest on it oars but would continue to work hard to protect the poultry industry from collapsing and urged poultry farmers to be vigilant and report the death of birds to MOFA.

Mr. Henry Adu-Thompson regional chairman of the Poultry Farmers Association, commended the government for putting in place taskforces to educate the pubic on the disease.

He said chicken still remains one of the vital food protein component and called on the public to continue to patronize poultry products so as not to put poultry industry out of business. Mr. Adu-Thompson called on the government to revamp the Pomadze poultry enterprise at Winneba to create jobs for the youth and also help sustain the poultry industry in the region.

Mr Justice Amoah Cape Coast Municipal Director of MOFA, for his part called on the media to be circumspect in their reportage so as to encourage the public to patronize the poultry products. 13 June 06