On 10th July 2023, Dr Uma Aysola, Director, Communication, Relations and Partnerships, ACCESS Health International, was invited to speak at a panel discussion on the topic “Perspectives on building robust public health strategies for disease surveillance and its potential impact”. The panel discussion was a part of the G20 Principal Scientific Advisers Round Table Side Event on One Health, Disease Surveillance and Pandemic Preparedness.
This side event was jointly organized by the Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC) and the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (OPSA) under the aegis of India’s G20 presidency. On the panel, Dr Aysola spoke about the importance of communication in health while emphasizing the critical nature of risk and crisis communication in pandemic preparedness.
During the panel discussion, Dr Aysola emphasized the pivotal role of communication in healthcare, particularly in the context of pandemic preparedness and the significance of risk and crisis communication in ensuring robust public health strategies. She also shed light on the parallel roles of science and community engagement, highlighting how effective communication fosters trust and understanding between communicators and communities and how culture and trust are crucial foundations for meaningful community engagement. Dr Aysola also reiterated the urgent need to combat miscommunication and unverified practices, particularly during crises. She mentioned how a people-centric communication strategy, tailored to the needs of individuals, is essential to eliminate this threat. Furthermore, she discussed the close relationship between health literacy and health communication, especially in times of crisis explaining how these two pillars go hand in hand, empowering individuals to make informed decisions and safeguard their well-being.