{"id":2028,"date":"2020-09-29T11:30:32","date_gmt":"2020-09-29T11:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/2020\/12\/23\/community-centric-communication-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T08:45:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T03:15:34","slug":"community-centric-communication-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/kn-in\/community-centric-communication-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Community-centric communication"},"content":{"rendered":"

While it is true that the health crisis caused by COVID-19 is not sparing anyone, it is also a fact that those living in urban informal settlements are at a heightened risk of being affected<\/a>. Existing vulnerabilities, fragile living conditions, and the environments in which they pursue livelihoods exposes them by a greater degree to the infection. <\/span><\/p>

Given this, the role of relevant and accurate communication in mitigating the threats posed by COVID-19 cannot be emphasised enough. As expressed in a February editorial in The Lancet<\/span><\/a>, “There may be no way to prevent a COVID-19 pandemic in this globalised time, but verified information is the most effective prevention against the disease of panic.”<\/span><\/p>

Aggravated by the widespread use of social media and digital communication channels like WhatsApp, it has become increasingly difficult for community members to separate fact from fiction.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

The volume of information published and disseminated during the last six months has been extensive, and so has the amount of fake news and information<\/a> that has been spread. Aggravated by the widespread use of social media and digital communication channels like WhatsApp, it has become increasingly difficult for community members to separate fact from fiction. Needless to say, during the course of the lockdown (and especially in the earlier phases of it), this led to rumours being spread, panic being created, and misinformation being shared widely amongst communities.<\/span><\/p>

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Related article: Engaging communities is critical to the COVID-19 response<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

In an effort to combat this, nonprofits like ours worked to create effective communication strategies for the communities we work with. As we enter into the post-lockdown phase of this disease, how can we use what we have learned to ensure that our messaging is targeted and impactful? Here are some ideas.<\/span><\/p>

1. Develop a strategy that is bottom-up<\/b><\/span><\/h3>

Identify the needs and challenges of specific communities and develop tailored communication strategies based off of them. Rather than only disseminating generic information, it is important to understand the needs of the community at the field level and then create communication that is relevant and targeted to them.<\/span><\/p>

To this end, at SNEHA<\/a>, we conducted a community needs assessment<\/span><\/a> survey to get a sense of our community’s understanding of the disease, their preventive behaviours, sources of information and information needs, trust in institutions, services available, and their attitudes towards the pandemic. Forty-three percent of the people surveyed said they wanted information about how they could protect their family’s health during the pandemic. This helped us create appropriate communication strategies for the community. Similarly, only 31 percent of the respondents said they regularly disinfect surfaces and items purchased from the market. We therefore incorporated cleaning and sanitising measures within our communication. <\/span><\/p>

We also realised that using language that is understood by the community and breaking down complex scientific terms helps them follow safety measures and ask relevant questions. It can also avoid confusion and misunderstandings.<\/span><\/p>

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2. Use multiple channels of communication <\/b><\/span><\/h3>

Simple, clear, and concise information from reliable sources works best. While community members already receive a lot of information through the radio and television, nonprofits need to think about what mediums they have at their disposal. For example:<\/span><\/p>