Brodie F Walker1, Emmanuel C Adukwu1. 1. Department of Applied Science and Centre for Research in Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ebola is a haemorrhagic disease with high fatality rates between 25 and 90%. The 2013-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was the largest to date with >28 000 cases and >11 000 fatalities. This outbreak exposed inadequacies in public health agencies and has spurred health officials to re-evaluate the way Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemics are co-ordinated and communicated. METHODS: This project compares, using the systematic review method, differences in the communication of EVD in Nigeria and Liberia with data from selected articles analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The most successful communication strategies were community engagement and targeted health-communication to the most at-risk groups. We also highlight the importance of a multi-modal strategy to effectively communicate prevention and management of EVD to affected communities. Secondary to these findings included the relevance of the media, particularly social media tools in managing such serious outbreak situations. CONCLUSION: This study provides the basis for the development of a theory-based framework to effectively communicate EVD and reduce the negative outcomes observed during the 2013-16 EVD outbreak.
BACKGROUND:Ebola is a haemorrhagic disease with high fatality rates between 25 and 90%. The 2013-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was the largest to date with >28 000 cases and >11 000 fatalities. This outbreak exposed inadequacies in public health agencies and has spurred health officials to re-evaluate the way Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemics are co-ordinated and communicated. METHODS: This project compares, using the systematic review method, differences in the communication of EVD in Nigeria and Liberia with data from selected articles analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The most successful communication strategies were community engagement and targeted health-communication to the most at-risk groups. We also highlight the importance of a multi-modal strategy to effectively communicate prevention and management of EVD to affected communities. Secondary to these findings included the relevance of the media, particularly social media tools in managing such serious outbreak situations. CONCLUSION: This study provides the basis for the development of a theory-based framework to effectively communicate EVD and reduce the negative outcomes observed during the 2013-16 EVD outbreak.
Authors: Neville Calleja; AbdelHalim AbdAllah; Neetu Abad; Naglaa Ahmed; Dolores Albarracin; Elena Altieri; Julienne N Anoko; Ruben Arcos; Arina Anis Azlan; Judit Bayer; Anja Bechmann; Supriya Bezbaruah; Sylvie C Briand; Ian Brooks; Lucie M Bucci; Stefano Burzo; Christine Czerniak; Manlio De Domenico; Adam G Dunn; Ullrich K H Ecker; Laura Espinosa; Camille Francois; Kacper Gradon; Anatoliy Gruzd; Beste Sultan Gülgün; Rustam Haydarov; Cherstyn Hurley; Santi Indra Astuti; Atsuyoshi Ishizumi; Neil Johnson; Dylan Johnson Restrepo; Masato Kajimoto; Aybüke Koyuncu; Shibani Kulkarni; Jaya Lamichhane; Rosamund Lewis; Avichal Mahajan; Ahmed Mandil; Erin McAweeney; Melanie Messer; Wesley Moy; Patricia Ndumbi Ngamala; Tim Nguyen; Mark Nunn; Saad B Omer; Claudia Pagliari; Palak Patel; Lynette Phuong; Dimitri Prybylski; Arash Rashidian; Emily Rempel; Sara Rubinelli; PierLuigi Sacco; Anton Schneider; Kai Shu; Melanie Smith; Harry Sufehmi; Viroj Tangcharoensathien; Robert Terry; Naveen Thacker; Tom Trewinnard; Shannon Turner; Heidi Tworek; Saad Uakkas; Emily Vraga; Claire Wardle; Herman Wasserman; Elisabeth Wilhelm; Andrea Würz; Brian Yau; Lei Zhou; Tina D Purnat Journal: JMIR Infodemiology Date: 2021-09-15
Authors: Qiuyan Liao; Jiehu Yuan; Meihong Dong; Lin Yang; Richard Fielding; Wendy Wing Tak Lam Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2020-05-26 Impact factor: 5.428