Unit 7
Session duration: 6 academic hours, including:
- Lecture: 2 h,
- Roleplay and Design Lab: 3 h,
- Reflection / Q&A: 1h.
Learning objectives
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
- Define key principles of risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) in public health.
- Identify communication challenges during climate-related emergencies (e.g., heatwaves, floods, epidemics).
- Design culturally appropriate communication strategies for vulnerable populations.
- Use digital tools for risk alerts, misinformation monitoring, and social media engagement.
- Evaluate real-world examples of RCCE during climate-health crises.
Session format: Roleplay and scenario-based workshop to build real-time communication and engagement skills.
Inclusivity & sustainability focus:
- Focus on reaching marginalized and linguistically diverse groups
- Emphasis on building public trust and shared decision-making
- Supports participatory approaches to resilience and climate justice
Discussion questions:
1. What makes communication effective during a climate-related health crisis?
2. How do we tailor messages to different cultural and literacy contexts?
3. What is the role of social media in spreading or preventing misinformation?
4. How can communities be meaningfully engaged in emergency preparedness and response?
5. What tools and platforms can improve RCCE in resource-limited settings?
The instructor:
- Presents the WHO RCCE framework and real cases (COVID-19, Pakistan floods, EU heatwave alerts).
- Guides students in designing a communication strategy for addressing the climate crisis.
- Leads scenario-based roleplay: public health official briefing the community during a disaster.
Students:
- Participate in simulation (press conference, SMS alert writing, infographic design).
- Collaborate on creating a community engagement plan.
- Critique communication materials for inclusivity, clarity, and trustworthiness.
- Reflect on barriers to communication and engagement in their region.
Assignments
Before the session: 1) Read: WHO (2021) RCCE Action Plan Guidance for COVID-19 Preparedness and Response; 2) Watch: Heat Alert Messaging in the EU (short video case).
During the session: 1) Participate in RCCE roleplay and debrief; 2) Design a communication product (infographic, alert message, radio script).
After the session: 1) Submit Diary #7: “My experience communicating climate-health risks in my community”; 2) Optional: Post a sample message or product to Moodle discussion board.
Recommended reading & resources:
- WHO RCCE Frameworks and Toolkits: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240092501.
- WHO (2021) RCCE Action Plan Guidance for COVID-19 Preparedness and Response: https://hlh.who.int/docs/librariesprovider4/hlh-documents/rcce-action-plan-guidance-covid-19-preparedness-and-response.pdf
- UNICEF: Risk Communication and Community Engagement for Climate Emergencies: https://www.corecommitments.unicef.org/rcce
- CDC: Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Manual: https://www.cdc.gov/cerc/php/cerc-manual/index.html
- Internews: Humanitarian Communication in Disaster Response: https://internews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Internews_SIPA_communicating_disastes_2013-09.pdf
- WHO: Myth-busting and Infodemic Management: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters; https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/334287/9789240010314-eng.pdf.