Creating a Communication Strategy for Pandemic Influenza

PAHO, as the regional office for the World Health Organization and the world’s oldest public health agency, is in a privileged position to work with all the countries in the Americas and to collaborate with other international organizations and partners to prepare for a potential influenza pandemic. 

The following is a guide and some considerations for creating a communication strategy and a preparedness check off list. Each section focuses on a target audience and will require an action plan detailing how each activity will be carried out. The plan also should include the goals, methods, participants and costs for each activity. Subsequent annexes serve as examples and provide additional information on such topics as key messages, ways of dealing with the media, and basic aspects of risk communication.