ASEF Risk Communication for Public Health Emergencies, 2015

Objectives

1. Share experience and expertise2. Understand the importance and challenge of

reflecting the voices of healthcare workers in national risk communication

3. Isolate key barriers to implementing national risk communication strategies

4. Develop recommendations for strengthening national risk communication strategies

What should be the top priority activities in your current emergency risk communication strategies?

A. media relationsB. IEC materialsC. social mediaD. community

engagementE. social mobilization

A. B. C. D. E.

36%

4%

12%

39%

9%

Pre-Workshop Survey: Top priority activities in your current risk communication strategies

1. media relations2. IEC materials3. social media4. community engagement5. social mobilization

On a scale of 1-5, how would you currently classify your country or organization's level of emergency risk

communication preparedness?

1. We are not prepared2. --3. --4. --5. We are very prepared

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

0%

8% 8%

54%

30%

On a scale of 1-5, how would you currently classify your country or organization's level of risk communication preparedness?

We are not prepared: 1 0 0%2 3 10%3 10 33.3%4 15 50%

We are very prepared: 5 2 6.7%

Ranking Methodology5. In terms of Dialogue with those affected and involved, rank the most significant barriers to success (Priority Ranking)

A. Lack of guidelines and formal listening procedures

B. Inadequate budget and human resources support

C. Weak levels of leadership engagement and endorsement

D. Lack of emergency engagement exercises and training

E. Practical tools and templates to support dialogue

F. Other

A: 319

B: 255

C: 353

D: 281

E: 275

F: 200

Module 1: key discussion70% -- communicate a serious, emerging risk immediately, prior to lab or other confirmation 57% -- organizations resist transparency due to incomplete informationTransparency is a crucial issue in supporting all

emergency risk communication objectives

Key transparency barriers: 1) Ensuring leadership engagement/endorsement

2) Lack of guidelines/policies

A. EndorseB. RejectC. Debate

A. B. C.

76%

18%

5%

Key Transparency abilities: 1) Rapid approval of warnings and advisories 2) Adherence to decision making principles – in a regulation, policy or guideline

A. EndorseB. RejectC. Debate

A. B. C.

57%

43%

0%

Module 2: key discussion

“If no agreement can be reached on whether or not to warn of potential EATEX risk, what do you do?”71% -- warn of the potential risk even if a coordinated/compromise cannot be reached

Coordination barriers: 1) Ensuring leadership engagement and endorsement 2) Lack of guidelines/policies

A. EndorseB. RejectC. Debate

A. B. C.

67%

28%

5%

Coordination abilities: 1) Identification/engagement of focal points 2) Communication coordination structure3) Sharing risk communication messages and strategies during a serious public health event

A. EndorseB. RejectC. Debate

A. B. C.

100%

0%0%

Module 3: key discussion

• “We should not put the blame on the affected” • We need to change behavior of leaders as well• Knowledge/data gathered must feed into response

operation or it becomes useless• On social media: may be the minority, but because of

the platform may appear to “represent” the majority

Listening/Dialogue barriers: 1) Weak levels of leadership engagement and endorsement2) Lack of guidelines and formal listening procedures

A. EndorseB. RejectC. Debate

A. B. C.

81%

14%6%

Listening/Dialogue abilities: 1) Gathering/processing the views and perceptions of individuals, partners and communities affected 2) Adapting communication strategies based on findings3) Reflecting community perspectives back into emergency management decision making

A. EndorseB. RejectC. Debate

A. B. C.

95%

5%0%

Module 4: key discussion• Strong push to “move on” undermines real

evaluation • Must be part of the planning cycle• KPIs: must align to risk comm objective• Organizations must prioritize/invest in

function

Evaluation barriers: 1. Low levels of leadership engagement/ endorsement2. Inadequate budget and human resources support 3. Lack of monitoring and evaluation training/capacity

A. EndorseB. RejectC. Debate

A. B. C.

92%

8%0%

Emergency Risk Communication Evaluation Abilities:1) Establishing clear risk communication objectives2) Monitoring system (eg. media/social media)3) Integration into preparedness strategies

A. EndorseB. RejectC. Debate

A. B. C.

97%

3%0%