Making the Case for Infectious Disease Infrastructure: Communications Toolkit

"In many developing countries, tuberculosis, polio, cholera and malaria continue to cause illness, disability and death....Our public health network identifies incoming threats and takes action; hopefully, before these conditions spread to others in our communities."

This resource, out of the United States (US), is premised on the notion that state health agencies' ability to quickly detect and respond to infectious diseases (IDs) depends on having a strong infrastructure in place. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is undertaking efforts to increase awareness of and support for ID infrastructure programmes and so partnered with the communications and social marketing firm Porter Novelli to develop this toolkit. ASTHO contends that "the need for education and engagement on this issue is strong. Putting a story forward in the media, however, is not easy. Advancing the issue's visibility will require reaching policy leaders, public health advocates, partners, and the general public."

To that end, this toolkit focuses on reaching the media as a channel to educate and engage key audiences. It includes information on how the media works and the advantages of each type of media outlet, the tools used to share stories with journalists, templates and samples, and a message platform for some sample language. "The first point of contact prior to reaching out to anyone, including reporters or bloggers, is your organization's public information officer (PIO). With the help of this toolkit, you will be prepared to discuss with your PIO what you hope to achieve, which media types may be best, and the story that you want to tell. Your PIO can assist you in tailoring the outreach and messages so they fit your organization's guidelines and voice." A sample strategy included in this resource is: "To craft a compelling message about the importance and value of ID infrastructure, it will be helpful to utilize a message platform, which summarizes what you want the public to know about the issue. As a basic rule, be sure that you always include a descriptive message about the issue that includes local information and your role in addressing it, provide a solution in terms of a call to action, and let the target audience know where they can go for more information. In addition, the message platform helps ensure the same information is communicated about the issue, regardless of communicator (spokesperson, organizational lead, volunteer, etc.) or communication channel (newspaper, press conference, community event, etc.)"

Through this toolkit and ongoing support, ASTHO seeks to provide states with tools and resources to tell their stories and demonstrate the value of investing in ID infrastructure and improving their capacity to detect, control, and prevent the spread of ID. "Through well-crafted messages and relevant data demonstrating impact, state health agencies can increase awareness and appreciation of ID infrastructure."