Outbreak communication: Best practices for communicating with the public during an outbreak

Overview

Strategies for health education and social mobilization during outbreaks have been refined in recent years. They are now routinely used by WHO, with support from medical anthropologists, in situations where public beliefs about a disease interfere with outbreak control. Strategies for using the mass media to improve outbreak control are less advanced.

What are the best practices for communicating with the public, primarily through the mass media, during an outbreak? In early 2004, WHO began an effort to identify evidence-based, field-tested communication guidance that would promote the public health goal of rapid outbreak control with the least possible disruption to economies and society.