| Date of last change: 23 September 2004 Type of document: Guideline; Pages: 70; Time allotted: N.A. Description: Best practices for communicating with the public during an outbreak Abstract: The report describes in the first part the special case of outbreaks and the many difficult challenges they present for communicators. It also summarizes presentations during the consultation that looked at recent outbreaks in terms of what they have to say about effective communication and the consequences of certain errors. The second part translates these experiences into best practices for communication during an outbreak. Contents are organized around five essential practices for effective outbreak communication identified during the consultation: build trust, announce early, be transparent, respect public concerns, and plan in advance. |