This document discusses strategies for promoting innovation and research on new drugs, as well as improving awareness, patient safety, and partnerships related to infectious diseases. It recommends international surveillance networks and information sharing on promising research areas. It also recommends active government and academic involvement in research through national and international task forces. Additionally, it proposes educational initiatives, behavior change campaigns, and awareness programs for healthcare providers and the public to improve awareness and patient safety. Broad partnerships are needed at national, regional, and global levels.

1. Action Plan Strategic Objectives
6. Promote innovation and research on new drugs
– International surveillance networks and information sharing on
promising research
– Active role in research for governments and
academic networks; national and international
task forces
7. Improve awareness, patient safety, and partnership
– Educational initiatives, behaviour change campaigns,
awareness programmes for health care providers
and the public
– Broad partnership at national, regional and global levels
Roger D Ramcharitar, Trinidad & Tobago
Dealing with the Media & Social
Media in Emergencies
Caribbean Risk Communication Training Workshop
Crane Resorts Ltd, Barbados
4-6 November 2014

2. The scenario
 The Caribbean is faced with a number of stubborn and
serious infectious diseases
 Nation States, have attained varying levels of
preparedness
 Work ongoing at both the State Sector and Private
Sector levels
 We must be ready to respond and as far as possible,
prevent.

3. The challenges and opportunities
Challenges
 Coordination
 Physical, human and financial
resources
 Technology and internet
penetration
 Supply of medical staff and
experts;
 Information filters
Opportunities
• Social media - a window of
opportunity between
conventional media and the
population

4. The goal(s) and strategy
 Information goals and strategies are not
complex
 Not enough to say that conventional crisis
communication protocols have been activated
 Strategies built around the window of
opportunity can maximise the reach of
information

5. The target audience(s)
 Children – with further subdivisions
 Working professionals – with further sub-
divisions and cross connections
 Semi-skilled, out of office workers – with
further sub-divisions
 The media – with further sub-divisions and a
direct link to all other categories.

6. The partners
 Partnership is essential - the critical element in
ensuring that information continues to flow
 A sense of responsibility among partners
 The media
 PAHO and the WHO
 The people

7. The tools and the channels
 Digital media – websites
 Social media – Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram
 Real time press-briefings
 Email updates,
 RSS feeds

8. The messages
 What are we are saying, to whom?
 Who is the main audience?
 What do we need them to know?
 What do they already know?
 What are the biggest influencers in whether they
listen or ignore?
 How do we measure the impact of message
delivery?

9. Evaluation of impact and lessons learnt
 Mainstream media and Journalists become the most
important partners between source and destination
 Social and digital media are critical, despite the
numbers
 Audiences and the right messages
 Information must be established, carried, discussed,
multiplied and repeated
 Measure the impact
 Have we succeeded? Or have we failed?

10. Thank you 