Workshop on Risk Communications for Public Health Emergencies: Bridging the National Mechanism with Healthcare Workers

General

The Public Health Network of the Asia-Europe Foundation organised a workshop on "Risk Communications for Public Health Emergencies: Bridging the National Mechanism with Healthcare Workers." The workshop bourght together 48 experts in public health and risk communications from the government, the private sector, the academia, the civil sector and international organisations.

The workshop featured healthcare workers who worked on emergency response to the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Participants evaluated the challenges and capacity needs in communications for real-life events. In this process of drawing lessons, participants identified core elements of risk communication strategies that would be useful in future public health emergencies.

Outcome

The workshop report is attached as a related link. The proposed recommendations for strengthening national risk communication strategies are the following (p. 36):

The proposed recommendations for strengthening national risk communication strategies are the following (p. 36):

1. risk management transparency priorities:
   • rapid approval of warnings and advisories;
   • adherence to decision-making principles – in a regulation, policy or guideline.
2. communication coordination priorities:
   • identification/ engagement of focal points;
   • communication coordination structure;
   • sharing risk communications messages and strategies during a serious public health event.
3. listening and dialogue priorities:
   • gathering/ processing the views and perceptions of individuals, partners and communities affected;
   • adapting risk communications strategies based on findings;
   • reflecting community perspectives back into emergency management decision-making.
4. risk communications evaluation priorities:
   • establishing clear risk communications objectives;
   • monitoring system (e.g. media/ social media);
   • integration into preparedness strategies.