by Johnny Fisher
Schoolchildren in Western Australia washing hands. HCR Australia
In a health crisis, fear can spread faster than a virus, and with that, the potential for hatred and violence. Clear, actionable and trustworthy communication is essential to combat this. It is also essential for service providers and government officials to listen. What have people actually heard and understood from the health messages? What are their ongoing fears? What are the local needs that our information campaigns don’t address? Community-centred media promotes listening, builds trust, distributes actionable information and engages people to work together with their neighbours in healthy cooperation.
Local response in Western Australia
There are not many cases of Covid-19 in Western Australia at the time of writing this article, but the media hype has caused a lot of panic. If the virus does spread, social conditions mean that Aboriginal people living in the region may be at a high risk. Radio MAMA, our Aboriginal media partner in Western Australia, is engaging with local communities and providing information from the Australian government around ways to reduce risk. The radio station is emphasising not to panic (and especially not to panic buy) but to reduce risk primarily through handwashing. They have been sharing tips on how to correctly hand wash too.
Local response in North West Pakistan
HCR Pakistan is supporting a community-centred media project in a small village in Northwest Pakistan. Today (Friday 13th Mar) the New Dawn project will broadcast their first ever live broadcast. Meanwhile the president for Pakistan has created a Public Service Announcement for TV advising people on best handwashing and other hygiene practices to prevent spread of infection. The New Dawn team has been sharing this same advice in the local Pakhtun language. They have also been gathering information from local health authorities. During the show, community members were able to call in or send questions by WhatsApp. This will give the team opportunity to hear community concerns and address rumours.
Supporting the international response
HCR is supporting our partners, by curating and passing on information from WHO and other trusted sources.
