Strengthening the Nation's Public Health Communication Infrastructure to Respond to COVID-19

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There is a need to strengthen the nation’s public health communications infrastructure to be able to respond to the historically unique challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has strained the public health infrastructure in the United States almost to the breaking point. Maintaining a strong public health system requires strong communications and public affairs support throughout every level of government and across the entire country. Public information officers (PIOs), public affairs officers (PAOs), and other health communicators can provide safe and consistent messages and guidelines for safely reopening America in communities across the United States. As each state and locality will need to address issues specific to their jurisdiction, it is important to ensure that the public health communication infrastructure can support effective dissemination of consistent public health messaging. This program seeks to strengthen the public health communication infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unanticipated and tremendous surge in demand for real-time public health information from CDC, tailored to each state and local jurisdictions’ needs. One criticism of the current response as seen from communications monitoring and congressional inquiries, is the lack of cohesion in messaging: the various levels of government are sharing different messages. Therefore, the public struggles to understand which messages to listen and what strategies to implement. As each state and locality grapples with how to best continue “reopening America” in a way that is safe, based on data, and that addresses each jurisdiction’s needs, there is a high likelihood of mixed messaging. While some sectors have already opened, other key sectors—such as schools in the fall—will require cohesive and consistent public health messaging. As new evidence is incorporated in public health guidance and strategies related to reopening must shift accordingly, the public health communications network will require immense support. Since the responsibility of reopening has been pushed down to the state and local level, the federal response needs to have a trusted channel and organization that can bring their membership body together. Public health communicators at the state, local, tribal and territorial levels need additional support to effectively do their job in ensuring that their health department and their partner organizations are providing accurate and actionable guidance.

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