Download Risk Communication, Cristiana Salvi (WHO Europe)

Basic principles on
Risk Communication
Cristiana Salvi
Information and Outreach Unit
Special Programme on Health and Environment
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Risk Communication
is embedded in risk management
1. Risk communication is a key feature of
any crisis response and should assume
a central role in risk management.
2. Risk Communication fills the gap
between risk assessment and risk
perception.
3. The over-arching communication goal
during a crisis is to communicate with
the public in ways that build, maintain
or restore trust, guiding appropriate
participation to support the rapid
containment of a crisis.
Risk Communication
is about involving the public
• Risk communication was developed in the West in the late
1980's, largely in response to environmental controversies
where danger was low or uncertain.
• As the public became more vocal, it was clear that it did not
perceive risk the same way as experts.
• Research into the public's views of risk began, compared with
the "expert model" of the risk.
• The older one-way model of transferring information (the
experts "educating the public") began to give way to a twoway model of dialogue and public involvement.
It is nearly impossible to design
successful messages that bridge the
knowledge gap between the expert and
the lay public without knowing what the
lay public thinks.
Risk Communication
is made up of 4 strategies
1. Trust, credibility, accountability, honesty, and transparency
Informing and involving various publics early in a crisis, being open
and honest about what is known and unknown, helps build trust
and credibility, strongly associated with public acceptance of official
guidance.
2. Message content issues – agreement and debate
The right amount of concern related to the risk would prompt
action without generating panic.
3. Emotion, empathy, and compassion
Experts are perceived as more credible and trustworthy when they
validate their publics’ concerns, empathize with their fears, and act
as role models for realistic “human” coping behavior.
4. Planning, public assessment, evaluation, message
development, and internal communication.
A risk communication plan should be ready before need, and be
changed at all times to fit the evolution of the crisis.
Risk Communication is relevant
for health and environment (HE)
Ministerial Declaration, Budapest 25th June 2004
We affirm the importance of and need for communication with
the public at large on environment and health (…) We invite
international organizations to help address this issue (…) with
the development of guidelines on risk communication as an
important tool for bringing environmental health
considerations to the attention of different sectors and for
heightening public awareness
Non biological hazards, such as chemical and radiation,
can pose communication challenges. An acute exposure
to chemicals following a chemical accidents or an
episode of terrorism, can have minimal acute effects on
population but create a lot of anxiety with respect to
long term effects of unknown dimension and origin.
HE Risk Communication accounts
for short and long-term effects
Chronic exposure
Acute exposure
Short-term effects
•
•
•
•
•
•
Long-term effects
(SARS)
• Ionizing Radiation
(Avian Influenza)
• Chemicals
Chemicals
Contaminated Food
Contaminated Water
Air Pollution
• Climate Change
• Air Pollution
• EMF
HE Risk Communication
acknowledges uncertainty
• In environmental controversies danger
is often low or uncertain (mainly with
long term effects).
• Acknowledging uncertainty is one of
the key component of HE risk
communication.
• Categorical reassurance that turns out
wrong often leads to excessive alarm
and increased mistrust.
HE Risk Communication
Thank you