Webinar: Strengthening Emergency Response through SBCC

Organised by the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3), this September 29 2016 webinar explored the importance of social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) for emergencies and the ways SBCC activities, tools, and resources can inform the various communication aspects of health emergencies like Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Zika, and yellow fever. The idea is that integrating SBCC into emergency preparedness, response, and recovery planning not only helps to ensure that communication is well coordinated but also that interventions reaching affected communities are evidence-based and result in long-term behaviour change.

Speakers shared first-hand experiences with health emergencies and offered their perspectives on the role SBCC plays in emergency preparedness and response. The webinar was moderated by Amrita Gill Bailey, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP). Her presentation, "Social and Behavior Change Communication for Emergency Preparedness", opened with a discussion of CCP's work in emergency preparedness, including strengthening the emergency response skills of journalists and community radio staff in Guinea Bissau and Cote d'Ivoire. CCP has also strengthened health system and bolstered emergency health communication sub-committees/pillars in SBCC through development of health communication policy, development of shared vision, mapping and coordination, and interpersonal communication (IPC) trainings in Guinea Bissau. The bulk of Bailey's presentation focused on CCP's work to develop tools and resources for emergency preparedness - in particular, the SBCC for Emergency Preparedness Implementation Kit (see Related Summaries, below.)

Panelists - with links to their PowerPoint presentations - included:

• Dr. Alfonso Rosales, Maternal and Child Health Senior Technical Advisor, Latin America & Caribbean (LACRO) region Zika Response Director, World Vision US - Presentation: "Zika Virus Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among the Populations of Six Countries in Latin America"
• Dr. Rafael Obregon, Chief of the Communication for Development Section, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) - Presentation: "Strengthening Emergency Response through SBCC: New Directions and Opportunities"
• Mohamed Jalloh, MPH, Epidemiologist at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health - Presentation: "Social and Behavior Change Communication: Insights from Multiple KAP Surveys in Sierra Leone"