The Health Minister J P Nadda on May 15 urged public health officials to keep communication simple and effective when delivering services as a miscommunication can have significant negative impact on preventive and control strategies.


 

Speaking at the inauguration of a two-day workshop on 'Risk Communication during Public Health Emergencies' in Shimla, Nadda said prevention and control of disease outbreaks or spread of Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in the country need multi-sector approach. "It encompasses inter-sectoral cooperation and co-ordination between various ministries. During public health threats, miscommunication or misinterpretation of public messages can have significant negative impact on preventive and control strategies.

"It is important to identify and quantify the risk, possible channels spread, Standard Operating Procedures for prevention, control and treatment," Nadda said. He said many diseases carry the risk of spreading from one state to another, and stressed on the need to monitor and review the preparedness of states to manage vector-borne diseases. Nadda assured the participants about the implementation of the protocols and SOPs emerging from the workshop.

He unveiled a 'Communicable Disease Alert On Scrub Typhus' and a draft on strategic guidance for 'Risk Communication During Public Health Emergencies'. More than 100 people from various government departments participated in the two-day workshop. It was jointly organised by National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, and the World Health Organisation.