Newsletter TELL ME 2014-10-20
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Transparent communication in Epidemics: Learning Lessons from experience, delivering effective Messages, providing Evidence
D1.7 Population behaviour in epidemics summary report
- D1.1 Behaviour in epidemics / Communication in A (H1N1) crisis
- D1.2 Components of outbreak communication
- D1.3 Segmentation & communication needs of target groups
- D1.4 Vaccine acceptance/refusal
- D1.5 Narratives and urban myths
- D1.6 Human Rights, stigmatisation and risk of discrimination
D2.8 New challenges and new methods for outbreak communication summary report
- D2.1 Stakeholder directory and map
- D2.2 Stakeholder communication requirements
- D2.3 Health care professional communication requirements
- D2.4 Feasibility of an online course for primary care staff
- D2.5 New social media
- D2.6 Digital resources for disease detection
- D2.7 The new global health security regime
D3.1 New framework model for outbreak communication
D3.2 TELL ME Communication Kit
D3.3 Prototype online course for primary care staff
D3.5 Guidance for Using WHO Threat Index
D4.3 Prototype of agent based social simulation software
- D4.1 Architecture, technical specifications and validation criteria
- D4.2 Software design
- D4.4 Testing: health professional panels in the EU
- D4.5 Testing Health Professional Panels US
D5.1 Dissemination Report
D5.2 Networking Report
D5.3 Updated plan for use and dissemination of foreground
Concern and fear about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa spread quickly around the world. Social media provide fertile ground to evoke such feelings, in the abundance of information made available, be they correct, distorted or totally wrong. Who are the main actors and what are the topics of discussion in relation to Ebola on social media? To address this question, a team of selected TELL ME partners carried out an analysis focusing on content retrieved from Twitter. Using "ebola" as the main query, the authors of the analysis collected a total of 632,712 tweets and 17,023 hashtags in a period of one week (5-11 September 2014). According to an algorithm that counted the number of followers, posts and retweets, TELL ME analysis identified the five top influencers on Ebola topics and the most used hashtags - not counting #ebola.
What has UK been doing to face the Ebola threat both within its borders and in West Africa? These are the two questions posed by Brian McCloskey, Director of Global Health, during the meeting of the TELL ME External Advisory Board (EAB) held on the 22nd September in London. Dr. McCloskey was invited to give a talk as the leader of the UK/Public Health England effort on Ebola in Sierra Leone. At first, he provided a brief update on the current situation in West Africa, highlighting that, according to available epidemiological data, at present time the epidemic is doubling every 21 days, which coincidentally is also the incubation period for the Ebola virus. With such a growing rate, there is an estimation for a total of 550,000 cases by January 2015. Numbers that evoke a highly concerning scenario, for this would represent the most severe Ebola virus outbreak ever recorded.
Every infectious disease outbreak has some lessons to teach to those involved in health crisis management, especially in terms of risk communication. In fact, any infectious disease can become much more dangerous when supported by misleading information and communication gaps. On the one hand, misinformation can spread worldwide at high speed, especially by use of online communication channels, often crossing geographic borders before local organisations have ramped up their response to an outbreak. On the other hand, the lack of proper information about, for instance, how people get infected, may slow down efforts to contain and control the spread of the disease.
From a European perspective, in the beginning the recent Ebola crisis has been portrayed as a health crisis that, despite raging in the distant Africa, had the potential to spread to Western states. It has been interspersed with intermittent panicking news where suspected cases (which for the most part have shown to be negative upon testing) were announced in European hospitals. The result obtained by media in drawing attention to the emerging threat of an Ebola outbreak, together with the link with certain African countries, has fostered various forms of stigmatisation for those perceived as being connected to the event.
The possible link between migrants and infectious threats was a matter even before Ebola emergency. In May 2014, WHO Emergency Committee advised that the international spread of polio constitutes an "extraordinary event" and a public health risk to other States. Among States currently exporting wild poliovirus, a relevant one is the Syrian Arab Republic, where the ongoing conflict worsens hygienic conditions and produces thousands of refugees. Agoritsa Baka, from Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention, explains to TELL ME how the polio outbreaks in Syria and other neighbour countries could impact onto Europe. Screening for polio on migrants, as well as vaccination, can help, but should not be discriminatory.
