Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Indonesia: Crisis Communication Determine Success

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 | 07:36 pm
ATLANTA, KOMPAS.com - Communication crisis in the health sector increasingly important as bermunculannya various infectious diseases that have the potential to be catastrophic, such as bird flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS, and influenza A-H1N1. A good crisis communication in the health sector in determining the success of control issues, including holding the spread of the disease.

It was stated communication experts from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) United States, Barbara Reynolds, in Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Training, such as Indira Kompas reported Permanasari journalists from Atlanta, United States, Tuesday (9 / 3).

Reynolds says, crisis and risk communication in emergencies especially important when dealing with cases of disease that can cause death, easily transmitted, and unprecedented. In some studies, for example, cases of influenza A-H1N1 and avian influenza (H5N1), with a crisis communication strategy to the public good, at least not a large explosion in the case of fast time.

"With a good crisis communication, remains an increase in cases, but with a more sloping curve and then slowly down the number of cases. If there is no good public communication, cases tend to increase sharply in place quickly and then just come down after the treatment. However, the victim of spilled milk, "he said.

He said the health problems directly touches the lives of the people so that it appears a disease, let alone new infections, the public needs information related to the danger. In addition, steps can be done so that the disaster would not befall them, and how to care for themselves.

Responsibility in communicating to the public about the crisis, especially in the hands of government and related organizations concerned. Reynolds said, leaders at various levels to provide honest information with empathy about the situation to the public quickly. Information must also be constantly updated.

"Dishonesty in providing an explanation even backfire in the long run because people will lose faith," he said.

More dangerous, more Reynold, people then did not want to follow the medical recommendations given that control more difficult.

"People can see whether a leader who communicates honestly crisis or not," Reynolds said.

Failure to communicate a crisis to happen because so many comments from some experts that ended up confusing people.

Separately, a consultant Risk Communication World Health Organization, Jodi Lanard, said there are many dilemmas in crisis situations to communicate honestly to the public. It often happens because of various interests. However, the public interest to get honest information in the middle of crisis and uncertainty poor can not be ignored.

"The way to calm the people instead of saying that all the control on the first day, it was certainly hard to believe. Better to be truthful about the situation, "he said

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