Viruses and bacteria are not the only ones to spread during an epidemic. Rumours and misinformation can do that too, eventually leading to the constitution of a parallel information system that could undermine the efficacy of the institutional communication. Similar situations often arise in case of contested knowledge or when only few highly technical experts are left dealing with scientific information.
The Health Department of the European Commission will organise a conference for Member States and partners on lessons to be learned from the Ebola epidemic. The event is organised in close collaboration with the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council and will take place in Mondorf-les-Bains from 12 to 14 October 2015. There will be four sessions, each of them focusing on a specific topic:
Epidemics may spread fast and since we are constantly improving our transportation possibilities, virus and bacteria are taking advantage of that. For centuries, harbours have been critical junctions through which diseases moved and diffused, and this led to the construction of specific buildings to isolate those who were sick or suspected of being infected. Nowadays we also have airports and much more persons moving all around the world, increasing the potential spread of infectious agents.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has decided to hold a two-days conference in Riga (Latvia) with ministers and high level representatives from the Ministries of Health, Social Affairs and Finance of the European Union, European Economic Area and Eastern Partnership Countries as well as high representatives of the European Commission, members of the European Parliament, representatives of international institu
The recent cases of measles outbreaks in US and Europe reignited the debate on vaccines, the science behind them and the conflict between the right to individual freedom and the state intervention. Amongst the several factors that contribute to the decrease of vaccination coverage – especially in some groups – vaccine hesitancy is one of particular interest, which should require much greater attention from public health and epidemiology, medical sociology, anthropology, and the behavioural, economic and political sciences.
TELL ME is a 36-month Collaborative Project, which aims to provide evidence and to develop models for improved risk communication during infectious disease crises. TELL ME combines public health, social sciences, behavioural sciences, political sciences, law, ethics, communication and media, in order to develop original communication strategies regarding complicated messages and advice based on uncertainties, also addressing vaccine-resistant groups.
Here is a list of the TELL ME deliverables that have strong implications with the ASSET aims and purposes:
