NCDC, WHO partner to enhance community engagement, risk communication

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), has commenced a six-day workshop on developing effective risk communication strategies.

The collaborative effort is part of the ‘Strengthening and Utilising Response Groups for Emergencies Initiative (SURGE)’, an initiative of the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) to effectively prepare, detect, and respond to emergencies.

The workshop, funded by the Canadian government through the CanGiVE project, aims to enhance the capacity of key stakeholders to effectively communicate risk, engage communities, and manage infodemics during public health emergencies.

The workshop is being held in Lagos from 25 to 30 November, featuring officials from the federal and state ministries of health, journalists, communications officials, and security operatives, among others.

Risk communication efforts

Speaking on Monday at the opening of the workshop, WHO Nigeria Country Representative, Walter Mulombo, who was represented by the Acting State Coordinator in Lagos, Memuna Esan, said the goal is to equip stakeholders with the skills to communicate risk effectively, engage communities, and manage infodemics during public health emergencies.

Ms Esan noted that the training programme is crucial in ensuring that Nigeria is better prepared to respond to public health emergencies and that the WHO is committed to supporting the Nigerian government in achieving its health goals.

“I am particularly excited because the deliberation and outcome of this important meeting will play a critical role in ensuring an improved awareness creation is championed with appropriate key messages, quality community engagement, and effective/timely management of infodemic especially in this era of increased information sources targeted at vulnerable populations,” she said.

Ms Esan added that the programme is expected to cascade to the sub-national level, covering the six geopolitical zones which are the SURGE selected states: Edo, Kano, Yobe, Lagos, Abia, and the FCT.

“I must assure you that the World Health Organisation in Nigeria is committed to working closely with the federal government, the NCDC, MDAs, and key stakeholders to prevent diseases, protect and promote the health of Nigerians; bearing in mind that outbreaks typically start and end in the community,” she said.

Disease prevention, control

Representing the Director General of NCDC, Jide Idris, the National Infection Prevention and Control Programme Coordinator for NCDC, Tochi Okwor, highlighted the need for a proactive approach to disease prevention and control.

Ms Okwor emphasised the importance of capacity-building workshops on risk communication for stakeholders to develop adaptable and generic messages for social and behavioural change.

“We want to make sure that we are paying attention to disease prevention, and we need to go through the root causes of the diseases and come up with generic messages and materials that we can easily adapt for messaging for people to take action,” she said.

Action before emergencies

In her comments, the Deputy Director of the Health Promotion Division, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ezioma Madu said the workshop is an emergency preparedness effort, emphasising the need for proactive action before emergencies.

“At this workshop, we will develop generic content for emergencies before they occur. We are going to send out these messages to the public so that they will be prepared and take action towards prevention,” Mrs Madu said.

Lagos State Health Educator, Badejo Olusegun, in his goodwill messages, appreciated the partners for their efforts and for choosing Lagos as the first state. Mr Olusegun pledged the state’s full support to ensure a healthy nation.