Risk Communication Training

Date published

Summary

Background and Purpose

Risk communication is a key component of emergency response that all countries should have in order to respond to health threats. It is one of the eight core capacities under the International Health Regulations (IHR) - a legal framework designed to help countries prevent and respond to public health risks. 

The main purpose of this curriculum is to guide those who communicate on behalf of their organization during an emergency with risk communication principles and best practices. The curriculum can be accessed and used by other audiences, such as epidemiologists that need to communicate with their Ministry of Health about risks associated with an outbreak, for example.

This self-guided course was developed as a result of the 2015-2016 Zika outbreak. Therefore, the example disease used in the course is Zika.

Structure and Timing

Five interactive modules make up this curriculum and include an interactive scenario, case studies, practical tools, and a national Emergency Communication Plan template that is to be completed throughout the course. These interactive modules help to facilitate engagement and retention of information.

The entire curriculum can be completed in one sitting, or the modules can be completed separately within a time frame that is suitable to the learner (there is no time commitment per module, as they are designed for the user to start and stop as needed). These modules were designed to be completed in sequence so that by the end, the user has completed an Emergency Risk Communication Plan.

Contact Information

For more information about these modules, please contact TEPHINET Learning, at learning@tephinet.org.

Resource type
Learning Resource Package

Risk Communication Training

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In this module, you will learn about the role that transparency plays in emergency risk communication and use practical tools to help manage transparency and decision making in an emergency. 

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In this module, you will learn about coordinating and communicating with stakeholders during an emergency, addressing communication challenges, and using practical tools to help identify and establish response partnerships.

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In this module, you will learn about behavior change communication, challenges in engaging affected communities, and tools for overcoming these challenges.

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In this module, you will learn how to write effective and consistent messages tailored to target audiences that will enable them to make informed health decisions.

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In this module, you will learn about best practices for working with the media during emergencies, using social media to engage your audience, and communicating through the media to reach audiences with effective messages.