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Communication is a fundamental factor in public health and has an instrumental role in promoting health and preventing diseases. Risk communication is one element that defines health communication theory that focuses on informing the public about health hazards, especially those that can lead to pandemics. According to Heydari et al. (2021), risk communications main objective is to provide meaningful, appropriate, accurate, and timely information related to health threats to influence the choices of the public. Therefore, effective structuring of risk communication in a way that the citizens get all relevant information about a disease outbreak can prevent a pandemic in the future.
Risk communication should be structured in a way that the information transmitted is clear to everyone; it should be simple, timely, and the messengers should be credible. It is essential to consider such factors as cultural sensitivity, literacy levels, medium of communication, and familiarity with scientific ethics when designing and delivering messages about possible pandemic threats. Individuals or agencies communicating information about pandemics should also address rumors, misinformation, and anxieties to ensure the public embraces all appropriate protective and control measures designed to prevent pandemics (Heydari et al., 2021). Therefore, risk communication should be factual, using the communitys history, experiences, and perceptions to address the unfolding events and underlying fears.
The involvement of trusted local leaders in risk communication can enhance its effectiveness in preventing a future pandemic. These leaders can easily disseminate information about potential sources of infections and approaches to minimize risks to their communities in languages they understand best (Berg et al., 2022). Undeniably, local trusted leaders are very aware of their communities social and cultural characteristics, past experiences, and health beliefs. Thus, they can consider all those factors to improve the quality of their risk communication by meeting the specific needs of vulnerable populations.
References
Berg, S. H., Shortt, M. T., Røislien, J., Lungu, D. A., Thune, H., & Wiig, S. (2022). Key topics in pandemic health risk communication: A qualitative study of expert opinions and knowledge. PLOS ONE, 17(9), 120. Web.
Heydari, S. T., Zarei, L., Sadati, A. K., Moradi, N., Akbari, M., Mehralian, G., & Lankarani, K. B. (2021). The effect of risk communication on preventive and protective behaviors during the COVID-19 outbreak: Mediating role of risk perception. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 111. Web.
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