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2 June 2022
Introduction
Recent health emergencies in the European Region have highlighted Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) as a core public health intervention which contributes to emergency response. Risk Communication and Community Engagement is a key measure available to health authorities to enable at-risk or affected communities to take informed decisions to protect their health, particularly when there is no vaccine and little in the way of treatment available. As such, RCCE is instrumental to achieve results across all the main areas of the response, from laboratory testing, contact tracing and isolation, to treatment and preventative and protective measures. For all these measures, support from affected communities is crucial for their success.
Scope and audience
This document is intended for health authorities working on RCCE in the context of the current monkeypox outbreak in Europe. It provides advice on approaches to the communication of risks and engagement of populationgroups based on the outbreak’s epidemiology and context, recommended preventive measures and people’sperceptions and behaviour.
The complexities of the monkeypox outbreak and context in Europe call for a comprehensive response that integrates risk communication with community engagement strategies to engage diverse audiences based on their risk of exposure. This mostly points at ensuring timely and consistent health information and advice to broader populations, while using more direct channels and engagement to those at increased risk through two-way communication. ...
Introduction
Recent health emergencies in the European Region have highlighted Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) as a core public health intervention which contributes to emergency response. Risk Communication and Community Engagement is a key measure available to health authorities to enable at-risk or affected communities to take informed decisions to protect their health, particularly when there is no vaccine and little in the way of treatment available. As such, RCCE is instrumental to achieve results across all the main areas of the response, from laboratory testing, contact tracing and isolation, to treatment and preventative and protective measures. For all these measures, support from affected communities is crucial for their success.
Scope and audience
This document is intended for health authorities working on RCCE in the context of the current monkeypox outbreak in Europe. It provides advice on approaches to the communication of risks and engagement of populationgroups based on the outbreak’s epidemiology and context, recommended preventive measures and people’sperceptions and behaviour.
The complexities of the monkeypox outbreak and context in Europe call for a comprehensive response that integrates risk communication with community engagement strategies to engage diverse audiences based on their risk of exposure. This mostly points at ensuring timely and consistent health information and advice to broader populations, while using more direct channels and engagement to those at increased risk through two-way communication. ...