COVID-19 Response - Risk Communication, Community Engagement, and Managing Infodemics

In Coordination Call #4, one of a series of weekly calls (see Related Summaries, below) intended to support the global COVID-19 pandemic response, Lisa Hilmi, CORE Group's Executive Director, and Dr. Alfonso Rosales, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Senior Advisor, World Vision, provided updates and facilitated discussion on COVID-19 preparedness and response coordination. The emphasis in this call was on the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) around risk communication, community engagement, and managing infodemics. The two main presentations are followed by brief updates from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Breakthrough Action, as well as questions and discussions around the presentations.

The 2 main presentations include:

1. Presentation: Risk Communication and Community Engagement
By: Donda Hansen, Interim Health Communications Director for CDC's Center for Global Health
Summary: This presentation focuses on what the CDC is doing around COVID-19 risk communication and community engagement. Donda Hansen discusses specific CDC activities to support effective communication, including:

• using an existing collaboration platform for communicators that enables sharing of information and networking around COVID-19 risk communication and community engagement;
• focusing the CDC-INFO hotline and contact centre on COVID-19;
• offering training through the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) platform to support communicators working in the field;
• making resources available on the CDC website;
• using social media to reach audiences with accurate information; and
• developing partnerships within individual countries, such as CDC's partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Venezuela.

The presentation also details the structures that allow CDC to deploy staff to the field - for example, the use of the Global Emergency Alert Response Service (GEARS) system, a one-stop-shop for anyone being deployed in a crisis. Citing examples of how CDC is responding to stigma, Hansen also explains how CDC is developing messaging, in particular emphasising the importance of scientifically accurate messaging. Finally, she discusses some lessons learned from previous outbreaks, including Zika and Ebola, and looks at how CDC is adapting these to their COVID-19 response.

2. Presentation: Infodemics Management - Risk Communication Strategy
By: Melinda Frost, Technical Officer for Risk Communication, WHO
Summary: This presentation looks at how WHO is responding to the infodemic around COVID-19 and in general at their work in risk communication. Melinda Frost focuses in particular on the work of WHO's Information Network for Epidemics (EPI-WIN), which seeks to counter the confusion and distrust created by infodemics by giving everyone access to timely, accurate, and easy-to-understand advice and information from trusted sources. Frost describes WHO's work to identify myths and rumours, and their focus on dispelling the most prevalent or harmful of them through scientifically based information. She explains the EPI-WIN Amplifier concept and how WHO works through amplifier networks in various sectors such as health, travel and tourism, and business to get information out to large audiences. This is in addition to WHO's work with Member States to support in-country responses to the epidemic. The presentation describes their weekly work rhythm, where teams focus on key themes, map audiences, and consider the best way to distribute information. Frost also discusses how WHO sources information and processes it for different audiences. She explains how content for COVID-19 is currently being created by different regional offices around the world, as well as in collaboration with large organisations such as the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Finally, the presentation looks in more detail at how EPI-WIN manages the infodemic by using, for example, short educational videos, myth-busting information, and social media platforms to direct people to trustworthy information.

The two main presentations are followed by brief updates from representatives from USAID, who talk briefly about their funding support for COVID-19 communication, and Breakthrough Action, who describe some of their communication activities. This is followed by a question-and-answer session.

On February 6 2020, CORE Group began a series of weekly calls (see Related Summaries, below) to convene members and partners to discuss their institutional positions around a range of topics related to COVID-19 in an effort to coordinate and support the global pandemic response. During each call, people who signed up for the discussion have the opportunity to ask questions and give input, and these discussions are also included in the recording. To receive updates and coordination call announcements, subscribe to CORE Group's One Health Interest Group listserv or email the listserv using: onehealth@lists.coregroup.org.