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.
