PAHO’s Risk and Outbreak Communication workshop

A two day workshop sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization about Risk and Outbreak Communication ended Thursday afternoon. The Influenza A-H1N1 outbreak is a real life example that the panellists examined to show how different organizations and society function to keep potential pandemic diseases under control. Sandra Jones, PAHO’s Technical Advisor explained more.

Sandra Jones, Technical Advisor, PAHO
“What is going to be happening is that for the next two days is to look at allowing participants to develop an understanding and importance of risk and outbreak communication. So we have a wide cross section of participants; the social sector, B.D.F., police as well as the Ministry of Health to actually look at how we go about developing risk and outbreak communication during any outbreak, such as the H1N1 that we had earlier. I shouldn’t say had; it is still a threat. The idea is that we want to illustrate that when it comes to outbreaks, it is not only the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, but it involves a multi-sectoral approach. The Belize Agriculture and Health Authorities and tourism because we know such outbreaks do affect tourism, which is a major income of the country. So we representatives here from all the different sectors.”

Jose Sanchez
“Okay, so at the end of the two days, what should we accomplish?”

Sandra Jones
“Well, actually I hope the participants will go away understanding what I said earlier is that when it comes to outbreaks and the whole risk communication, that it is the responsibility of all the actual sectors.”