Communication and Community Engagement in Disease Outbreaks: Dealing with Rights, Culture, Complexity and Context

This book provides readers with a critical, conceptual, and applied understanding of the role of communication and community engagement for disease outbreak preparedness and response. It emphasizes the need for a wider socio-ecological systems approach that places communities at the center of the response, and highlights the importance of integrating technical inputs within the broader architecture of disease outbreak preparedness and response.

Format: Hardback
Length: 212 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This book offers readers a comprehensive, critical, and applied understanding of the crucial role of communication and community engagement in disease outbreak preparedness and response. Prior to the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, public health authorities and influential voices in the international public health community had been warning about the potential for a pandemic for several years. Consequently, there was a pressing need to enhance governments and communities' abilities to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks effectively, with the aim of minimizing their impact on lives and economies.

While significant investments have been directed toward clinical, diagnostic, and vaccine research, preventing and minimizing the impact of disease outbreaks necessitates a broader socio-ecological systems approach that prioritizes communities as the central focus of the response. Unfortunately, such an approach remains relatively uncommon in public health practice. One of the key lessons that the authors have learned and reflected upon in the chapters of this contributed volume is that the effectiveness of technical inputs depends on their full integration within the broader architecture of disease outbreak preparedness and response.

The ten chapters of this book are organized into three parts: a conceptual framework, case studies, and recommendations. This structure provides a clear and structured framework for readers to gain insights into the topic. The conceptual framework provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the role of communication and community engagement in disease outbreaks. It explores key concepts, principles, and models that underpin these efforts. Case studies provide real-world examples of effective communication and community engagement in disease outbreaks, highlighting the successes and challenges encountered by different organizations and communities. Recommendations offer practical guidance and insights for public health managers, donors, implementers, organizations engaged in disease prevention and control, and academics who are called upon to support the response.

This book is particularly relevant to public health managers, donors, implementers, organizations engaged in disease prevention and control, and academics who are involved in supporting the response to disease outbreaks. It highlights dimensions that are often under-resourced, providing valuable insights and practical recommendations to address these gaps. By emphasizing the importance of communication and community engagement in disease outbreaks, this book contributes to the development of a more comprehensive and effective response to these challenges.

In conclusion, Communication and Community Engagement in Disease Outbreaks is a timely and essential resource for anyone interested in understanding the role of communication and community engagement in disease outbreak preparedness and response. It offers a comprehensive and critical understanding of the topic, providing readers with practical guidance and insights to support their efforts in this critical area.

Weight: 518g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030922955
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022