Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, the whole world has been thrown into a state of confusion. The World Health Organization (WHO) has just, somewhat belatedly, declared the outbreak as a pandemic.
It is safe to say that this outbreak caught the world by surprise. But that’s the point of a crisis or emergency; it might not be anticipated but it must meet preparedness. In the case of COVID-19 where information is evolving amid a lot of uncertainty, the need to effectively communicate should be at the frontlines of the response. As the spread of this virus has shown, even countries with the most resilient health systems, have found themselves vulnerable.
Communicating effectively during public health emergencies is highly critical. This article shares what institutions must do in the event of health emergencies, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 response.
Communicate Early
Most governments and health institutions tend to shy away from sharing information about emerging health risks. In some cases, governments go the extra mile to suppress information. A case in point: China’s efforts to silence a Doctor, who blew the whistle on the deadly disease. China’s initial attempts to restrict information on COVID-19 has proven to be a defining factor in the spread of the disease. The country’s misleading approach to COVID-19 has been blamed for the approach of the WHO and the western world to the prevention of the disease, which was initially downplayed.
Communicating effectively during an outbreak begins with establishing a (crisis) communications plan, information flow and channels, and a command center. This is important in the case of an infectious disease especially ones like COVID-19 where knowledge is limited and sketchy. This can help to inform both health professionals and the public about the early signs of the disease and create a path for escalation. It can also support the scientific understanding of the issue, as the need to establish the facts is an important part of a crisis response.
Furthermore, the establishment of communication channels help the public to identify the trusted sources of information as the issue develops. The importance of this cannot be underestimated. It is known that false information during public health emergencies could be more fatal than disease itself.
Delivering your messages
“Share facts, not fear.” These four words should be the rule of thumb in communicating issues pertaining to diseases. Authorities should communicate only what they know, and avoid providing anything other than the facts to the public. These facts should be based on consensus within the stakeholders involved in combating the disease. Ideally, this ought to be the case, but COVID-19 offers the contrary. Several mixed messages from experts, agencies and various media organisations has fed mass hysteria. The global shortage of essential commodities such as face masks, even with the lack of proof of its effectiveness in preventing transmission of the virus, is a case in point.
Keeping messages simple, factual, and from ‘One Voice’ makes them easy to understand and share, while a complicated message can be subject to misinterpretation or misrepresentation. This has been the case with COVID-19, a phenomenon which the WHO has labelled an “infodemic”.
Simple messages that educate and promote handwashing in the case of COVID-19, or other behaviours such as social distancing tend to be more effective. Given that the objective is to reach everybody, there is also a case for the use of creative messages and approaches. An example is the widespread use of music in educating people about COVID-19 prevention. ‘Ghen Co Vy,’ an animated music video by Vietnam’s Health Department has grossed over 12 million views on one YouTube channel alone, and has become a viral hit across the country. We love the song too! Watch below:
A ‘One Message’ approach is more effective when stakeholders are involved at the community level. Research shows that people tend to trust community structures over official channels during a crisis. These community structures can include health workers, school teachers, caregivers and local media personalities. Nigeria’s Centre for Diseases Control’s guidance for educational institutions is a great reference point.
Social media has become extremely important when it comes to delivering messages on a real time basis. However, it is important to note that when it comes to social media, it is important to invest efforts in engaging with the most effective channels based on available data. In Singapore, the government’s technology team GovTech realised the importance of WhatsApp which was the most utilised social messaging platform in the country with about 4 million users, and built an information sharing platform on the app. Singapore’s successful execution goes beyond the choice of the platform. It also embodies the lesson that social media does not do well with complex messages but can be highly effective for sharing constant simple updates.
Adewunmi Emoruwa is the Lead Strategist at Gatefield
