SocialNet: Empowering communities before, during, and after an infectious disease outbreak

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of operational concepts in relation to community engagement, risk communication, and the application of social science interventions. This course is designed for health emergency preparedness and response professionals, policy makers and partners.

Course information

This course is also available in the following languages:

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Overview

Communities are at the heart of every response. Effective risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) supports communities and individuals in understanding the risks they face and making informed decisions about how to protect themselves and the people around them. Accurate information, provided to communities in ways they understand and respect, builds trust and supports the success of prevention, response and recovery efforts.

Social sciences – including sociology, psychology and anthropology, among other disciplines – are an important part of developing effective RCCE interventions that are sensitive to the cultural, historical and behavioral perspectives of communities. In this course, you will learn about how to apply social sciences to build trust and ensure that communities are equal partners in developing solutions before, during and after emergencies.

In taking this course, you join a global community of people committed to ensuring that communities are empowered in developing solutions that are acceptable and effective during emergencies. We’re glad you’re here.

Course structure

The course is structured into five modules, with case studies and a final assessment.

Course duration

The course is designed to take approximately four hours to complete and adaptable to your schedule.

Certificate

You will receive a Record of Achievement when you achieve a score of 80% or more in the course assessment.

Participants who receive a Record of Achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.

Course contents

• Course Introduction:

  Welcome to this SocialNet course on Empowering Communities Before, During and After an Infectious Disease Outbreak. This course is introduced by Melinda Frost, who leads the Risk Communication and Community Engagement team in the WHO Community Readiness and Resilience Unit.

• Module 1: Community Engagement:

  In this module, you will learn why it’s important to engage communities in the response to a public health outbreak.

• Module 2: Data Collection and Analysis:

  In this module, you will learn the importance of data collection and data analysis during infectious disease outbreaks.

• Module 3: Considerations for Intervention Design:

  In this module, you will explore considerations for the design and development of public health interventions.

• Module 4: Risk Communication:

  In this module, you will learn about the importance of building trust in relation to effective risk communication.

• Module 5: Interpersonal Skills:

  In this module, you will learn how interpersonal skills can be applied in an emergency context to build trust between response teams and communities.

• Assessment:

  There are 10 questions in this quiz-based assessment. The questions are a recap of the content covered in Modules 1 to 5. You must score 80% to pass.