2ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEALTH PROMOTION :
Bridging The Gap
FIGHT AGAINST H1N1:
ROLE OF COMMUNICATION
SASITHERAN K.K. NAIR
Health Education Officer
Ministry of Health Malaysia
10 October 2011
Health Sector Framework for Action
SURVEILLANCE
Laboratory
PARTNERS
COMMAND
HEALTH SECTOR
HEALTH CARE
RESPONSE
How to minimize
preventable deaths
PUBLIC HEALTH
INTERVENTIONS
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
How to slow down
transmission
SOCIETAL LEVEL
Presentation Outline
National Influenza Pandemic
Preparedness Plan (NIPPP)
Goals in Risk Communication
Risk Communication Strategies
Lessons learnt
National Influenza Pandemic
Preparedness Plan (NIPPP)
The six pronged strategy of the National Influenza
Pandemic Preparedness Plan (NIPPP)
• Organisational Response
• Public Health Response
• Medical Response
• Laboratory Response
• Risk Communication
• Societal Response
Goals of Risk Communication
Build trust through broad agreement among various
stakeholders to adhere to National Influenza Pandemic
Preparedness Plan
ii. Build support for pandemic preparedness and response
efforts and to encourage similar efforts in the private sectors,
corporate bodies, NGOs and civil society
iii. Instill and maintain the public’s trust in the government
efforts in managing the pandemic
iv. Provide accurate, timely, consistent and comprehensive
information through out the pandemic phases
v. Identify and address rumours, inaccuracies and
misperceptions quickly
vi. Create and sustain networking with the media by providing
reliable and credible information
i.
Risk Communication Strategies
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Advocacy and Networking of Stakeholders
Encouraging community participation and
forging Partnerships
Reaching vulnerable groups
Engagement with the media
Collaborate with international organisations
and neighbouring countries, including cross
border issues
1. Advocacy & Networking of Stakeholders
Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) as
command centre for advocacy and networking
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC COMMITTEES comprises of:
i. National Influenza Pandemic Committee (NIPC),
ii. State Influenza Pandemic Committee,
iii. District Influenza Pandemic Committee
- to coordinate and implement the influenza pandemic
action plans at national, state and district consist of various
internal and external stakeholders at all levels
•
NATIONAL INFLUENZA PANDEMIC
PLANNING COMMITTEE (NIPPC)
Chaired by DG of Health Malaysia
i.
ii.
iii.
It is a technical and advisory committee for the MOH and the
National Inter-ministerial Influenza Pandemic Committee . It
was responsible for developing strategies.
Seeking expertise from WHO, international and local
multidisciplinary experts.
MOH is the lead agency for the country with technical inputs
from NIPPC.
NATIONAL INTER-MINISTERIAL INFLUENZA
PANDEMIC COMMITTEE (NIIPC)
Chaired by Honourable Minister of Health Malaysia
i.
ii.
To provide policy directions and co-ordination of ministries
and departments, governmental and non-governmental
agencies relevant for controlling the pandemic in the
country. It is answerable to the Cabinet on all matters
related to the pandemic
Special meeting chaired by DPM for cabinet members
(ministers) to coordinate and support control measures
(special allocation )
2. Encourage Community Participation
& Forging Partnerships
Involve various stakeholders:
Ministry of Education -Teachers at school level –
screening for temperature, monitor absenteeism,
practise personal hygiene
ii. Malaysian Airport Bhd – work together with MOH –
in-flight announcement and distribution of PPE
iii. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – provide
financial support to carry out public education
activities – campaign, production of material
and airing the messages in the media
i.
3. Reaching Vulnerable Groups
Identified vulnerable groups and their needs:
Produce targeted messages
ii. Utilize appropriate communication channels
to deliver the messages
iii. Distribution of specific materials
i.
4. Engagement with the Media
MOH was able to provide:
i. Relevant information about events for backgrounds
ii. Adequate newsworthy information to report
immediately after an event
iii. A reliable source of information to help explain
situation before, current and expected outcome of
event.
iv. The most simple, accurate, up-to-date and easily
understood information for news, commentaries and
analyses.
Thro’…….
a. Spokesperson
b. Daily Press Conference/Release
Dedicated website
d. Dedicated hotlines
e. Media messages – tv, radio ads,
newspaper print, media online interpersonal
c.
5. Collaborate with international
organisations & neighbouring countries
Bilateral meetings btwn Malaysia & bordering
countries
ii. ASEAN+3 Countries
iii. WHO
i.
Lessons learnt – What we did well
a. Active participation in policy and technical meetings
•
close collaboration with other Ministries and Partner
organizations
b. Continuous capacity building activities
c. Timely development and release of information or IEC
materials based on feedbacks from various sources i.e.
hotlines and emails
d. Coordinated risk communication messages from
National to States, Districts and other stakeholders
e. Regular press conferences/release
THANK YOU