Paper details

Paper authors	Christine Fricke
In panel on	How to include marginalized groups in risk communication and community engagement
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

In a health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, effective communication in people’s preferred language and format is vital. Yet language-aware risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) are not the standard. This paper summarizes recent learning and promising practices that humanitarian organizations should consider to ensure people receive the information they want and need in a public health emergency.

Translators without Borders’ research on the 10th and 11th Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo found that prioritizing verbal communication channels and localizing terminology can increase the effectiveness, comprehension, and reach of risk communication. Our global survey on COVID-19 found that health communicators want risk communication material in plain language, relevant local languages, and visual formats. In Uganda, we found that regular and clear communication about COVID-19 is needed to reduce stigma, increase trust and promote health-seeking behavior. Language technology applications such as multilingual chatbots can further support timely communication at scale.

Despite promising initiatives, gaps persist. Women, older people, people with disabilities, and marginalized ethnic groups often face particular barriers to accessing information. RCCE strategies risk reproducing vulnerabilities if they don’t factor in language exclusion from the outset. Digital technology can help, but is developed almost exclusively in dominant languages, making it inaccessible to marginalized language speakers. Improving health communication and tackling barriers that marginalized groups face will improve the reach, impact and accountability of public health responses and humanitarian action more widely.

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