Overview

The objective of this document is to help national authorities apply the WHO outbreak communication principles to their outbreak planning and preparation activities. This document addresses specific public health objectives including:

• ensuring at-risk populations have the information they need to make well-informed decisions and to take appropriate actions to protect their health and safety during an outbreak;
• supporting coordination and the efficient use of communication resources among local, national and international public health partners;
• providing relevant public health information to inform implicated non-health sectors;
• minimizing social and economic disruption;
• and, as an overarching goal before, during and after outbreaks, to maintain and build public trust in public health authorities.