1. 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

2. 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

3. 3

4. Risk Communication 4

5. First Announcements

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

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