Building Risk Communication Capacity for Emerging Infectious Diseases and

Public Health Emergency 2011-2013, Lao PDR

Presented by Khamphithoun Somsamouth, MD., MPH

Deputy Director of the Center for Information and Education for Health Ministry of Health

Behavior Change Communication During Outbreak Response Hong Kong, 26-29 June 2013

Introduction • Risk communications (RC) for emerging infectious diseases and

public health emergencies (EIDs and PHE) capacities is required during the preparedness, response and recovery phases of a serious public health event.

• The function of RC is particularly important in the management of any acute public health event, especially at an early stage when decisive action has to be taken in the context of uncertainty.

• RC cannot be limited to any one method. It comes in many forms and must follow guidelines and an appropriate level of formality to ensure knowledge and information transfer.

• The first case of Pandemic H1N1 was confirmed on 16 June 2009 in Vientiane, Lao PDR with a well 27 year old foreign male developing influenza-like symptoms on June 13th, 2009. Widespread transmission was defined as community transmission in two or more provinces and recognized at the end of July. Therefore, RC is needed in Lao PDR

Vision To ensure better coordination

among health and non health stakeholders at all levels to deliver specific RISK COMMUNICATION messages to the different target audiences during health emergency event

Objectives • To highlight the importance of RC on EIDs and PHE

situation and potentially contribute to the overall achievement in the implementation of next five years plan of MOH (2011-2015)

• To introduce RC model acquired international and regional into the RC framework of MOH-Lao PDR

• To strengthen the capacity and knowledge of RC staff at all levels

• To provide an opportunity for RC staff to apply RC into their day-to-day work as well as during emergency events

Key Components of RC1. Health Emergency Communications

2. Operational Communications

3. Behaviour Change Communications

4. Strengthening the RC network and management.

Key achievements (Policy and structure)

1. National Policy on Health Communication signed by Prime Minister developed and disseminated to the targets at the central and provincials

2. RC Strategy and five years action

plan 2011-2015 developed and

implementation

2. Taskforce for health communication

established at the central and

provincial levels

Nation Policy on Health Communication

Key achievements (Cont)knowledge and skills

1. Lao staff learned about planning development for Emergency Risk Communication and Public Health Emergency established by CAREID RC Experts from Canada

Four Taskforce Members Attended

Emergency RC Training

Workshop in Canada 2011

Key achievements (Cont)Training curriculum and guideline developments 1. CAREID Risk communication training module was finalized and applied

into Lao content curriculum for central and provincial levels training

2. RC curriculum is introduced into One Health training curriculum for surveillance and response during outbreak

3. Operational risk communication procedure during health emergency event is developed and submitted for

approval by MOH and National Communicable Diseases Control

83 staff from central and provincial gained knowledge and skill for RC through central and regional emergency RC

training conducted by CAREID and Lao trainers

RC Training at the central level

Regional Emergency RC Training conducted for 74 Provincial staff from 12 out of 17 provinces

Regional Training for 6 provinces in the north

Regional Training for 6 provinces in the middle

Summary of knowledge and skills of staff on RC during pre and post training 2012

29 (34.94%)

46 (55.42%)

8 (9.46%)

0

51 (61.42%)

32 (38.55%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Low Average High

Number Percent of knwoeldge on emergency risk

communication between pre test and post evaluation (N=83 )

Pre test Post test

Risk communication

is integrated into the Lab- surveillance

training curriculum

Media Training and RC IEC/BCC materials

production and utilization

Key achievements (Cont) Political & stakeholder encasement to support the RC

1. Policy, decision makers and national health communication taskforce in Ministry of Health and related stake holders understand and gained knowledge and understand well about RC on 18-20 June 2013 by WHO consultants

2. Propose to establish MOH spoke person, role and function incase of emergency

Priority Activities for next steps

• Continue to support the capacity building for provincial and district levels to ensure they capable to process timely risk communication

• Support for the developing an operational RC procedure and guideline (SOP for RC), RC-IEC materials and communication equipments for RC implementation in both national and sub-national levels

• Attend the international and regional meeting, workshop and training for sharing and learn experiences on RC from abroad

18

Thank you

(Kob Jai)