The Pan American Health Organization launched a new online self-study course titled, "Risk Communication: Building capacity under the International Health Regulations (IHR)". Available through the Virtual Campus for Public Health, the new course aims to strengthen capacity in developing risk communication strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Washington, D.C., 20 July 2012 (PAHO/WHO)— The Pan American Health Organization today launched a new online self-study course titled, "Risk communication: building capacity under the International Health Regulations (IHR)."
Available through the Virtual Campus for Public Health (VCPH), the new
course aims to strengthen capacity in developing risk communication
strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The course is designed especially for communication, health and risk
management professionals responsible for communication with the public,
or whose work involves planning or making decisions relating to
communication during public health emergencies. Students and anyone
else interested in risk communication may also take the course, which is
offered in English or Spanish and takes approximately 40 hours to
complete.
The course contains four modules and covers the basic concepts of risk
communication, the fundamentals of coordinating outbreak and crisis
communication, and the steps involved in planning, developing and
implementing a risk communication strategy.
Through numerous learning activities, such as hands-on exercises and
case study analyses, participants will be challenged to decide how to
communicate with the public during a disease outbreak or other health
emergency. They will also learn the conceptual and theoretical
foundations for risk perception and how to use them to in an effective
response. In addition, they will learn how to strengthen internal and
interagency coordination, and communicate effectively with the public
and the media during health emergencies.
Participants will also learn to recognize the relationship between
'actively listening' to the population and responding effectively to
their concerns, as well as to integrate risk communication into the
planning process for responding to public health emergencies.
Within the framework of the International Health Regulations, PAHO/WHO
made a commitment to strengthen capacity in Latin America and the
Caribbean to plan and implement risk communication activities in the
public health arena. This course is a tool for advancing toward that
end.
This self-learning course is being made available free of charge with
support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To access the learning modules and evaluations, simply register in the
VCPH. Participants will receive a certificate on successful completion
of the course.
This online training is a continuation of the virtual diploma, "Risk
Communication for Public Health," offered by PAHO/WHO and the
Universidad del Norte (Colombia) in 2011. The objective is to give more
students with Internet access around the world the opportunity to
participate.
PAHO, which celebrates its 110th anniversary this year, is the oldest
public health organization in the world. It works with all the countries
of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their
peoples and serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World
Health Organization (WHO).
Links to Course:
Spanish: http://cursos.campusvirtualsp.org/course/view.php?id=135
English: http://cursos.campusvirtualsp.org/course/view.php?id=139
Contact:
Silvia Posada
Knowledge Management and Communication
Tel: (507) 212 78 00
Email: posadas@pan.ops-oms.org
PAHO/WHO (www.paho.org)
