Emergency risk communication (ERC) is a vital public health intervention. It can save lives during emergency situations and, as such, should be considered an investment in people’s health, safety and security.
A new package is available to guide countries of the Region in establishing systems and plans for effective ERC tailored to their specific contexts.
The following 5 steps can make a difference in how effectively risks are communicated during health emergencies:
- training to build homogeneous capacity based on a country’s priority hazards;
- capacity-mapping to identify needs and gaps in view of strengthening in-country ERC;
- plan-writing to develop a multihazard ERC plan based on a WHO template;
- plan-testing through multisectoral simulation and tabletop exercises; and
- plan adoption to update the national ERC plan and integrate it into national preparedness and response plans
For more information, go to Emergency risk communication