Strategic Communication Workshop "Public Trust and AEFI" - Facilitator's Guide

This facilitator's guide is designed for those planning to hold a workshop on strategic communication around adverse events following immunisation (AEFI). It emerged from a session at a workshop organised by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), "Risk Communication Workshop on Adverse Events Following Immunization [AEFI] and Public Trust", August 9-10 2004, New Delhi, India.

The workshop outlined here is designed to build interpersonal communication skills, self-efficacy, and confidence to deal with AEFI (e.g., around the oral polio vaccine) in different settings and to identify main elements of a communication strategy. It revolves around a case study of AEFI occurring after a mass measles campaign in Monistan, a hypothetical country in South Asia. Participants are divided into 4 pre-assigned working groups. Based on the case study, the working groups develop a strategic communication plan and perform a role play demonstrating how they will handle an immunisation communication crisis. The role plays are followed by plenary discussion to identify essential steps and elements of a strategic communication plan - e.g. developing a communication procedure, a creating a spokesperson's system, handling media queries, bringing village councils on board, allaying fears of families and communities, and making sure that health workers are on board.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Heidi Larson

Clark University

helarson@clarku.edu