On Sunday, I had the pleasure of watching some wonderful student presentations on the topic of public health communication from our Primary Compassionate Care Initiative, PCC-KWASU cohort. I was so impressed by their presentations and the ideas shared.
A few pearls that I gathered:
Communication is a form of medicine. When done effectively, it has the power to change behaviour and potentially save lives. When done poorly, or with the intention to harm, it can create additional stress, confusion, anxiety, mistrust, and anger.
During an outbreak, communicating early, consistently, and with empathy helps build public trust.
The difference between misinformation and disinformation matters. Disinformation is strategically used to exploit people, while misinformation may be shared without intent to harm.
Public health messaging should also recognize that people can be educated and uninformed, or informed and uneducated. This distinction matters when we think about trust, access, and how messages are received.
Oh! And I learned a new word! Infodemic. An infodemic is an overabundance of accurate and inaccurate information that spreads rapidly during a crisis or disease outbreak.
Congratulations to the presenting groups:
Group 1, Foundations & Audience Analysis: Abdulfatai Abdulsalam, Fadheelah Oluwabukola Bello, Simbiat Abdulrazaq, Halimatu Sadiya Ademuyiwa, and Hibatullah Tiamiyu.
Group 2, Message Design & Interpersonal Communication: Opeyemi Sabiu, Faidat Opemiposi Salman, Olamilekan Babatunde, and Hassan Abdulkareem.
Group 4, Risk Communication & Crisis Planning: Hikmat Ogunlana, Maryam Odeyemi, Aishat Hadi, and Elijah Matthew.
Group 5, Misinformation & Digital Media: Abdulroheem Olatundun, Regina Jimoh, Oluwabukola Alegbe, and Oreoluwa Fatolu.
A huge well done to all of you.
JACQUELINE P. ASHBY 