title: Lessons of Risk Communication and Health Promotion - West Africa and United States.
abstract: During the response to the 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) epidemic in West Africa, CDC addressed the disease on two fronts: in the epidemic epicenter of West Africa and at home in the United States. Different needs drove the demand for information in these two regions. The severity of the epidemic was reflected not only in lives lost but also in the amount of fear, misinformation, and stigma that it generated worldwide. CDC helped increase awareness, promoted actions to stop the spread of Ebola, and coordinated CDC communication efforts with multiple international and domestic partners. CDC, with input from partners, vastly increased the number of Ebola communication materials for groups with different needs, levels of health literacy, and cultural preferences. CDC deployed health communicators to West Africa to support ministries of health in developing and disseminating clear, science-based messages and promoting science-based behavioral interventions. Partnerships in West Africa with local radio, television, and cell phone businesses made possible the dissemination of messages appropriate for maximum effect. CDC and its partners communicated evolving science and risk in a culturally appropriate way to motivate persons to adapt their behavior and prevent infection with and spread of Ebola virus. Acknowledging what is and is not known is key to effective risk communication, and CDC worked with partners to integrate health promotion and behavioral and cultural knowledge into the response to increase awareness of the actual risk for Ebola and to promote protective actions and specific steps to stop its spread. The activities summarized in this report would not have been possible without collaboration with many U.S. and international partners (http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/partners.html).
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Affairs, Office of the Associate Director for Communication, CDC.
authors.forename: Sara R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bedrosian
authors.forename: Cathy E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Joanne D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pechta
authors.forename: Jana L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Telfer
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaines-McCollom
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harben
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Keri M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lubell
authors.forename: Jennifer H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: McQuiston
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordlund
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Barbara S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schindelar
authors.forename: Gene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shelley
authors.forename: Katherine Lyon
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Daniel
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003142:Communication; D058872:Epidemics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology