As reported in the ASSET Strategic plan, the three Summer Schools on Science in Society related issues in Pandemics (2015, 2016, 2017) pose the main challenge of the collaborative project overall that is dealing with the intersectoral approach required by the management of Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC), like epidemics and pandemics.
Members of the ASSET projects will present the results of the citizen consultation that took place in eight countries on September 2016 at the European Parliament. Such an event is part of the science-in-society approach performed by the project within the framework of Research and Innovation related to pandemic preparedness. ASSET citizen consultation is an innovative method of engaging citizens on complex issues, providing them with information before asking questions.
On July 30th, the Verbier Festival, one of the most prestigious music festival in Europe, hosted “Concerto for Piano and science”, a public workshop organized in collaboration with the ASSET project.
Since its creation in 2000, the National Human Rights Romeurope alerted the authorities to the need to take better account of difficulties of access to care of foreign Roma people living in France. Following extensive discussions and in order to verify the relevance of these recommendations for access to rights and health, the Directorate General of Health supported in 2008-2009 an action of project engineering intended to present plans of development of mediation pilot projects.
In USA, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) surveyed the population on their attitude towards vaccination, in order to adapt their communication messages and clearly and accurately promote the benefits of vaccination in ways that resonate with family decision makers. A total of 1,278 parents and guardians were interviewed using an online established survey panel.
Some countries are slowly moving toward the implementation of a two-way PH communication strategy. For example, in May 2010, shortly after the H1N1 pandemic, the public health authorities of New Zealand designed a rapid response initiative to have feedback from population on the communication campaign and on their risk perception. The project consisted in a study, which aimed to retrieve evidence-based information which health authorities could use to design tailored health communication campaigns during/after periods of pandemics.
In 1991, a first mediation program was initially conceived by the Romani Criss NGO mainly focused as a conflict mitigation project. Mediators were being trained to improve communication between Roma communities, non-Roma population and local authorities. In 1996, supported by the Catholic Centre against Famine and for Development (CCFD), the NGO reoriented the program to a health-focused mediation, principally aimed at improving social conditions for Roma and facilitating communication between Roma communities and medical providers.
An example of population consultation project was started recently by the French Ministry of Health, Marisol Touraine, who intends to consult the population on the matter of mandatory vaccination, as a part of a wide-ranging review of immunisation policies. This initiative comes after a report confirmed that vaccination is a sensitive society issue, which needs a large consultation of all stakeholders, including the civil society, with the aim of engaging them in a discussion about immunisation and its importance to public health.
