One Year Into the Pandemic: Risk and Crisis Communication in Latin America Bryna Brennan Senior Advisor, Risk and Outbreak Communication Pan American Health Organization/WHO 27 July 2010

Regional Communication Context in Latin America April 2009 Risk comm training in all countries (plans on paper) Trained trainers Network of regional communicators Overall awareness and evolution of risk comm H5N1 ennui

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Risk Communication 4

First Announcements

Quickly Followed By …. Not in our country…… Handing out info at the airport Well, it’s an imported case There’s no community spread ….. Phase 6 First deaths

Commonalities Basic hygiene messages Call centers Web pages, media releases Activation of inter-agency committees Innovative partnerships -- church, soap companies Mixed messages – masks, vaccine Not all that many rumors

Putting Planning Into Practice: the Communication Response to H1N1 July 09 Planning worked, plans didn’t work as well Communication coordination increasingly important Stigmatization, economic losses, changing guidance Politics, at times, took precedence over evidence Disease comparisons diminished risk perception All communication must be open, quick All pandemic communication must be based on science Based on trust, transparency, need to communicate risk

September 2009 Regional PAHO/AMRO Meeting Risk communication must be credible and handled by trusted, high level spokespersons Messages should be consistent, timely and clear to build confidence and reduce alarm Messages need to be targeted (schools, prisons, religious groups, vulnerable) Prior media contact and workshops create allies. Training in risk communication necessary for health personnel at all levels. Use of innovative and varied communication channels, blogs, cells. Intersectoral cooperation and partnering with the private sector

Survey November 2009 Create National Risk Communication Strategies Ongoing risk comm. training to include health services personnel Support research, such as KAP (knowledge, attitudes, and practices) studies Institutionalize risk communication strategies to transcend the political arena

We worked with the government and they Set up a group of spokespeople Worked with the media Listened to what the people were saying and tried to respond Created clear messages Targeted messages to specific groups Created a risk communication group

Upcoming Plans Manual Survey of countries following H1N1 Slides Spokesperson course Risk communication course on Virtual Campus Rapid Deployment Red Salud H1N1 dialogue KAP studies In country workshops

Today’s Challenges Dengue and other health problems H1N1 ennui H5N1 off the radar screen Blogs Credibility

www.paho.org/riskcomm