First World Health Organization Expert Consultation on Outbreak Communications

17 Sep 2004

Singapore will host the World Health Organization's (WHO) Expert Consultation on Outbreak Communications from 21 to 23 September 2004.

The Consultation is the first of its kind, and aims to bring about a global consensus on the most effective principles, strategies and tools for outbreak communications, and incorporate outbreak communications as an essential component of outbreak response.

Risk communications experts from all WHO Regions, and experts from major public health institutions and global public health networks will meet to discuss principles, strategies and tools. These will be assessed against actual experiences of those who have managed communications during high profile outbreaks. The process is aimed at producing a global consensus on effective risk communications, which will be published and used by WHO to strengthen the expertise of outbreak risk communicators at WHO headquarters, regional and country levels and of communicators in Ministries of Health and in partner organisations.

Eminent experts will touch on the experience gained from a range of outbreaks like SARS, Ebola, Mad Cow, Anthrax and Avian Influenza, and case studies, including Singapore's management of SARS.

Participants at the Consultation will be invited to form the nucleus of a virtual network of outbreak communicators who could contribute to outbreak response through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). The Consultation is part of a series of WHO activities aimed at making risk communications an integral part of outbreak response.

The event, held at Traders Hotel, is co-hosted by the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA). Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts and Health, will be the Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony of the Consultation on Tuesday, 21 September 2004, at 8.30am.