Hi, I'm Julia Smith-Easley. I'm the lead for Risk Communications and Community Engagement at CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery branch. During a humanitarian crisis, different types of aids such as food, water, shelter, and access to care are likely to be needed. As you've been discovering in the course so far, communication is another vital type of aid needed during an emergency. The right message at the right time can save lives. This week, we're highlighting the four core components from the International Health Regulations also called IHR, about communicating during an emergency. Let's begin with the first component, transparency and early announcement. When responding to a humanitarian emergency, one of our first actions is to work with our partners and those impacted by the emergency to develop timely and consistent messages. These first messages provide information to help those who are at risk, protect themselves, and to protect their loved ones. As we learned previously, we likely won't have all the details as an emergency unfolds. That's okay. What we can do, is share what we know right now, what we don't know, and what we're doing to get the answers. Many organizations are likely to be involved during the response, and working together with them and with those who are actually impacted by the crisis, helps ensure that we're providing consistent messaging. So, when considering transparency and the first announcement that you release, what should you include in your message? What kind of information will people want and need? Let's take a look at a fictional scenario to better understand. A highly unusual and massive cluster of microcephaly cases in newborns and neurological conditions in citizens have been discovered in the fictional Caribbean country of Caribe. The recognition of these serious health concerns, accompanied the discovery that the Zika virus was present across the island. A popular international destination for wealthy travelers, the unfolding events on Caribe have exploded onto the international media stage. There are reports of tourists flocking to the airport and that limited local health facilities are being overwhelmed by the so-called worried well. Health officials are very concerned. In addition, some social media users are blaming the minority migrant worker population for the Zika outbreak. These poorly educated workers often don't speak the local language and may not have access to the same media or social media sources as others on the island. There is worry that the migrant worker population might be stigmatized. The migrant population is beginning to tentatively voice their concerns, but are also afraid that they could lose their jobs and work visas if they complain too much. Living in substandard conditions and with little access to healthcare, many are young families where the parents work is weight and cleaning staff at tourist locations, and their children have access to local schools. While speaking to reporters, the Caribe tourism minister says there is no threat to either tourists or the local population. She suggests the situation is well under control and the cases of birth defects and neurological disorders are not of particular concern. Considering this scenario, what would you want to know? What information would you need to protect yourself and to protect your family? The types of information needed will likely depend on your audience and their relationship to the event. Always remember the audience for your message. What information do they want and do they need? So, now, put yourself in the shoes of those in our fictional country of Caribe. Consider one or two questions that you would want to have answered. What if you're a migrant worker, what would you want to know? What if you were a tourist on the island, what information would you want to know? What questions would you want to have answered? No matter the event, we can anticipate likely questions that will be asked. Some of these questions might be, what happened? Am I safe? Is my family safe? What have you found that might affect me? What can I do to protect myself and my family? Who caused this? Can you fix it? Who is in charge? Has this been contained? What is being done to help? What can we expect right now or later? What should we do? How did this happen? Did you know this was going to happen? Now that you've asked those questions, let's switch hats. If you're in the role of the local health official, how would you respond to the questions you just asked? What would be your message for those who are impacted? It can be difficult when deciding what information to include in your messaging, especially when trying to remain transparent. To help, consider these three questions. Is the information needed to avoid illness, to reduce the spread of a disease, or to help people cope with the impact of an event? If the answer is yes, then that information should be communicated to those who are at risk. If no, there is likely no compelling public health reason at this time to release the information. The second question to consider, is the information relevant to assist public health experts with their decisions? If yes, this type of risk management information should be made available to your partners and to the stakeholders and to the public. If the answer is no, there's likely no compelling public health rationale for communicating this information at this time. Lastly, is there a compelling reason to withhold or modify the information? There are a few reasons where this may be the case. For instance, could the release of the information compromise security or an ongoing investigation? Will the release of the information violate privacy laws, existing confidentiality policies, or unnecessarily violate personal privacy? Could the release of the information result in people being stigmatized among different ethnic groups, or across geographical regions? Being mindful of these questions when you craft your emergency announcements will help deliver the most effective communication with your audience.
