Appendix A

Statement of Task

An ad hoc committee under the auspices of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will plan a 1.5-day public workshop that will examine the role communication plays in countering infectious disease threats. This workshop will explore topics including

• risk communication as a core capacity for governments to build for preparedness, detection, and response under the International Health Regulations;
• the role of the United Nations in communicating promptly and adequately the occurrence of these threats and supporting governments to build communication capacity;
• communication coordination mechanisms among stakeholders and across sectors and regions;
• risk perception and the role of communities in early detection (e.g., citizen-generated data and bidirectional communication platforms) and support of the response;
• message development and dissemination for diverse audiences through appropriate materials, media, and other communication channels, as well as methods to manage uncertainty, biased information, and misinformation; and
• lessons learned in communication from recent epidemics and pandemics.

Workshop speakers will present current strategies and research done in these areas and identify gaps in the research agenda that may help address communication needs in countering infectious disease threats to advance the field. Workshop speakers and discussants will contribute perspectives from government, academia, and private and nonprofit sectors at the global, national, and local levels. The committee will plan and organize the workshop, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. A summary of the presentations and discussions at the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines. The designated rapporteur will not be a member of the committee, and no committee members will be used in the development of the workshop summary.