1 |1 | country office for viet nam outbreak communications shelaye boothey who communications...
TRANSCRIPT
1 | COUNTRY OFFICE FOR Viet Nam
Outbreak CommunicationsOutbreak Communications
Shelaye Boothey
WHO Communications Officer
GOARN – Melbourne
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WHO are we?WHO are we?
WHO acts as the health conscience for the globe.
Our role is to act as a catalyst and advocate for action on health issues.
Our purpose is to lead the response to public health issues on all fronts - medical, technical, socio-economic, cultural, legal and political.
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Our world is changing as never beforeOur world is changing as never before
Populations grow, age, and move
Diseases travel fast
Microbes adapt
Chemical, radiation, food risks increase
Health security is at stake
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“We have had great success in the last five years in controlling outbreaks, but we have only recently come to understand that communications are as critical to outbreak control as laboratory analyses or epidemiology”
Dr Jong-wook Lee, WHO Director General 2004
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Effective Outbreak Communication can…Effective Outbreak Communication can…
reduce illness and save lives
reduce economic impact
limit political instability
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Communications challenges Communications challenges
During an outbreak there will be:
extreme pressure on the Government to provide accurate and timely information;
a surge in media attention – both nationally and internationally
information voids which if not filled by official sources are often filled by non-official, misinformed and potentially damaging sources;
communication systems subjected to severe stress and testing;
communication breakdowns;
bad decisions resulting from poor communications and information; and
unexpected events!
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Outbreak Communications PrinciplesOutbreak Communications Principles
Trust is the goal – each communication builds or erodes trust.
Transparency is the tool.
Announce early – control rumor and misinformation.
Listen to the public and respond
Plan – your communication for the extreme demand of an outbreak.
TAKE ACTION
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TrustTrust
"The over-arching communication goal during an outbreak is to communicate with the public in ways that build, maintain or restore
trust".
WHO Outbreak Communication Guidelines
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Why YOU need to careWhy YOU need to care
EVERY SINGLE
public health intervention
during an outbreak will
SUCCEED OR FAIL
based on the way you
COMMUNICATE .
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ExamplesExamples
Rapid Containment – if your population does not understand its importance - it will FAIL
Antiviral strategy – if your population rejects it because it is not understood - it will FAIL
Social distancing – if it is not understood won’t be implemented and – it will FAIL
Hand hygiene – importance not understood and inappropriate language – no one will follow – it will FAIL
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What is effective communications?What is effective communications?
NOT just a press release or poster
NOT just public relations
Whole of society approach
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WHO working with MOHWHO working with MOH
Achieving results:
Train Preventative Medicine staff in outbreak investigation and response
Infection Control
Zoonotic disease surveillance and response
Improving laboratory procedures for quality testing and investigation
Risk Communication
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MoH action/WHO supportMoH action/WHO support
Outbreak Communications Plan
Protocols for clearance and quick release of information to media and public
Advice on best messages for public
Training for MoH spokespeople and technical staff
Training more editors and journalists about pandemics and infectious disease
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Why media matters!Why media matters!
Using mass media to communicate is the MOST IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION TOOL in an outbreak.
Other channels of communications are important
In an outbreak situation even those who do not regularly access any media will turn to traditional media sources for information.
Information to media should be – TIMELY AND TRANSPARENT
Communicating effectively with the media will protect the public’s health and
SAVE LIVES!!!!
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WHAT IS A JOURNALIST? WHAT IS A JOURNALIST?
• Like you and me
• Harassed
• Just trying to get through the day
• Hoping to please the boss
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• More respectful
• Not so aggressive
•State run media allows greater control
Vietnamese journalists
ASIAN VS EUROPEAN/AMERICANASIAN VS EUROPEAN/AMERICAN
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• More direct
• Possibly more mature/confident/informed
• More difficult
International media
ASIAN VS EUROPEAN/AMERICANASIAN VS EUROPEAN/AMERICAN
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MEETING THE PRESS: AN OPPORTUNITY – NOT A VISIT TO THE DENTIST’S
MEETING THE PRESS: AN OPPORTUNITY – NOT A VISIT TO THE DENTIST’S
• Don’t waste the chance
• Inform the public
• Promote your organization’s work
• Generate key messages
• BUT BE PREPARED!
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• What is the line of questioning?
• Who are the journalists? Local or overseas?
•Any of them have a reputation as hostile
to your organization ?
•Are they informed?
PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS
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• Do you have a reason to talk?
• Do you have a message?
• Have you done your homework?
GENERAL TIPS GENERAL TIPS
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DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE? DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE?
• What is your ideal headline?
• 3 or 4 key statements for the message
• A few “hot words” that will get noticed
• No jargon or acronyms
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BACK TO BASICS BACK TO BASICS
• After last question, come back to your key messages
• Write the headline again
• Ask if anything unclear
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DO’S AND DON’TS IN AN INTERVIEW DO’S AND DON’TS IN AN INTERVIEW
Do
•Use short sentences. Prepare catchy expressions
•Use everyday language
•Use positive terms (“We’re effective” rather than “we’re not without skills”)
•Try to explain how what you say affects the journalist’s audience
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DO’S AND DON’TS IN AN INTERVIEWDO’S AND DON’TS IN AN INTERVIEW
Don’t
•Say “no comment”. It’s a comment
•Waffle when unsure. It’s ok not to know – honestly !
•Speak off the record with a journalist you don’t know and trust
•Assume the microphone is off
•Offer a personal view
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TO RECAPTO RECAP
• Are you ready?
• What will your ideal headline be?
• What are the key messages to back the headline?
• Don’t lose that precious trust
•Remember: Journalists can be allies