Reminder. When deciding on your message strategy:
Do not:
- Focus on the risks and fear without providing doable actions that people can take
- Rely heavily on information, education, communication (e.g., posters, slogans)
Do:
- Use multiple channels with emphasis on participatory approaches and real-time feedback (e.g., hotlines, radio call-in shows)
- Manage fear by increasing skills and ability to take action
Primary Audiences
MESSAGE STRATEGY FOR PRIMARY AUDIENCE 1: HOUSEHOLDS
Objectives
Pre-crisis
By <month, year>, 80 percent of the population can recite at least three signs and symptoms of Ebola.
By <month, year>, 80 percent of the population can recite that Ebola is transmitted by close contact with bodily fluids from a person who is sick or has died from Ebola.
Initial Phase
By <month, year>, more than 90 percent of the population state that it is possible to recover from Ebola by seeking prompt medical care and services and know how to access Ebola services.
Maintenance
By <month, year>, 80 percent of the population can accurately reject at least three misconceptions and identify three means of prevention about Ebola.
By <month, year>, more than 90 percent of the population believe that people who seek prompt medical care and services within 24 hours becoming ill have a greater chances of recovering/surviving from Ebola.
By <month, year>, 90 percent of suspected Ebola deaths are buried according to safe burial practices.
By <month, year>, less than 40 percent of the population will agree with discriminatory statements or actions toward Ebola survivors.
Recovery
By <month, year>, less than 30 percent of the population will have a discriminatory attitude toward Ebola survivors.
Positioning
Ebola is real, but you can protect yourself, your family and your community. Together we can stop the spread of Ebola.
Key Promise
If you want to protect yourself, your family and your community from Ebola you can:
Learn the signs and symptoms of Ebola
Learn the different ways Ebola is spread and how Ebola is not spread
Learn how to protect yourself and your community
Know how to access appropriate health services, if needed
Continue to protect yourself, your family and your community until Ebola is finished
Key Messages
Signs and Symptoms
Know the signs and symptoms of Ebola. If someone has a fever that starts quickly with any of the other signs, do not wait, call <hotline number> for free and tell your community leader.
The signs and symptoms of Ebola look like other sicknesses such as malaria and typhoid. Ebola can come with fever that starts quickly and with weakness, headache, body pain, sore throat, vomiting, running stomach, rash, red eyes and/or bleeding from the nose or mouth.
If you are infected with Ebola, it can take 2-21 days before it starts to show on you (before signs show).
Transmission
Any person, from any country, household, religious group or culture can catch Ebola. Reminder: Key messages must be tailored to specific contexts. Different regions or ethnic groups have different reasons for health and burial practices and beliefs. To be effective, messages must address relevant fears, concerns and practices. They should be based on evidence from studies designed to shed light on people’s beliefs and practices. Key information and actions audience members can take should be provided in a simple, easy-to-understand, non-threatening, respectful way.
Ebola is spread person to person through body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola. Body fluids are things like blood, feces, urine, vomit, sweat, spit/saliva, tears, semen and vaginal fluid.
Ebola enters the body through your mouth, nose and eyes, or small cuts or openings in the skin. When we touch a person who is sick with Ebola, or touch the body of a person that has died with Ebola, we can easily spread it to ourselves. We can also spread it to others by touching them after touching someone sick with Ebola.
Protection
You can protect yourself by always washing your hands with soap and clean water or water mixed with chlorine.
You also protect yourself when you keep a distance from sick people, their personal things, or their blood, vomit, feces, urine, sweat or spit/saliva. Do not touch them! Call <hotline number> for help and/or tell your community leader.
You also protect yourself by not touching, bathing or helping to bury anyone who has died. Even though this is not our normal way, this is one of the best ways to make sure we end Ebola.
Keep a distance from the personal things that the person touched when he/she was sick, and/or were used to clean their blood, vomit, feces, urine, sweat or spit/saliva. Do not touch or use these things!
After you call <hotline number>, a trained team will burn or spray these personal things with strong chlorine water. This will keep you, your family and your community safe. The house, latrine and area the sick or dead person was using must be sprayed with strong chlorine water by a trained team. Call <hotline number> for help and/or tell your community leader.
Safe Burial
When someone dies from Ebola, there is a lot of Ebola virus living in the dead body.
Ebola can be easily spread from the dead body to other people when we care for our dead family members the way we are used to.
Ebola can spread when we touch or kiss the dead body, wash the dead body, when we plait or cut the hair of the dead body, when we dress the dead body, brush the dead body’s teeth or bury the dead body by ourselves.
Any person that touches the dead body can catch Ebola!
Stigma
The Ebola virus is a hard thing for all of us. It has taken away our culture of caring and being concerned for each other. We are afraid to talk about it because people can reject us—our family members, our community members and our health care workers. This is especially true for those that have gone through and survived Ebola. It is important that we all help each other.
People who have survived an infection with the Ebola virus are no longer carrying the live virus and cannot infect other people (except through sex, because semen and vaginal fluid can still carry the live virus for up to 3 months).
People who survived the Ebola virus cannot get infected with the same virus again, so they are the safest people. They can help provide care for other people who may have been infected with Ebola or children who have been exposed to Ebola.
Welcome survivors and anyone whose lives have been touched by Ebola back into the home and the community. Encourage and help them to participate in community activities.
For more sample messages, see the ECN and search for Messages.
MESSAGE STRATEGY FOR PRIMARY AUDIENCE 2: HEALTH CARE WORKERS
Objectives
By <month, year>, 100 percent of health care workers can accurately provide information on the signs and symptoms of Ebola.
By <month, year>, 100 percent of health care workers can describe how to distinguish Ebola from other diseases which present with fever like malaria and typhoid.
By <month, year>, 100 percent of health care workers can accurately provide information on how Ebola is transmitted.
By <month, year>, 80 percent of health care workers will feel confident that they can follow guidelines to safely care for an Ebola patient.
Positioning
With the proper protective equipment, I can protect myself from Ebola while being able to provide appropriate care for people who have been infected. In addition, I can do it with confidence and compassion.
Key Promise
If you want to care for your patients and protect yourself, your family and your community from Ebola you can:
Learn the signs and symptoms of Ebola to help triage patients and protect your health facility
Learn the different ways Ebola is spread and how Ebola is not spread to assess and inform your patients and their family members
Learn how to correctly use proper infection prevention and control methods and appropriate PPE to protect yourself and your other patients
Key Messages
Signs and Symptoms
Know the signs and symptoms of Ebola. The signs and symptoms look like those of other sicknesses like malaria and typhoid. Ebola can come with fever that starts rapidly and with weakness, headache, body pain, sore throat, vomiting, running stomach, rash, red eyes and/or bleeding from the nose or mouth.
Once someone is exposed to Ebola, it can take 2-21 days before it starts to before signs show.
Transmission
Any person, from any country, household, religious group or culture can catch Ebola.
Ebola is spread person to person through body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola. Body fluids are things like blood, feces, urine, vomit, sweat, saliva/spit, tears, semen and vaginal fluids.
Ebola enters the body through the mouth, nose and eyes, or small cuts or openings in the skin. When we touch a person that is sick with Ebola to help them or touch the body of a person that has died with Ebola we can easily spread it to ourselves. We can also spread it to others by touching them after touching someone sick with Ebola
Protection
It is more important than ever before to practice effective infection prevention and control. Ensure that your facility has all the equipment it needs, that all the clinic staff has appropriate training on infection prevention and control, and that policies and systems are in place to ensure that it is practiced correctly and consistently.
By knowing the signs and symptoms and modes of transmission of Ebola, you can effectively triage suspected cases of Ebola before they enter a non-Ebola facility. If you have a suspected or probable case of Ebola, call for an ambulance to refer to a CCC or ETU for proper diagnosis and treatment. This will help keep Ebola out of other health facilities and will keep these facilities safe for both you and your non-Ebola patients.
If you will be working with Ebola patients ensure you have and know how to use personal protective equipment. This is for your own protection and the protection of your family and your community.
If you ever feel any symptoms of Ebola, isolate yourself immediately and call for help from trained personnel. The quicker you isolate yourself the less risk you pose to your family and your community. The quicker you call for help, the better your chances of survival.
Influencing Audiences
MESSAGE STRATEGY FOR INFLUENCING AUDIENCE: FAITH AND TRADITIONAL LEADERS
Objectives
By <month, year>, 80 percent of traditional leaders can accurately provide information on the signs and symptoms of Ebola.
By <month, year>, 80 percent of traditional leaders can accurately provide information on what to do in case of an Ebola outbreak.
By <month, year>, 80 percent of faith leaders encourage congregations to allow for safe burial practices.
By <month, year>, 80 percent of faith leaders motivate families to take action to protect themselves from Ebola.
By <month, year>, 80 percent of faith leaders include welcoming Ebola survivors back into the community as part of their religious teachings.
Positioning
Traditional leaders: Traditional leaders are trusted voices in their communities. They can use their power to help protect the community from Ebola.
Faith leaders: God intended for people to protect themselves and their children from diseases such as Ebola. Given the emphasis on proper burials in religious texts and traditions, religious leaders have the moral authority to help families adopt safe burial and other related practices.
Key Promise
Understanding how Ebola is transmitted and taking action to protect communities from Ebola can save countless lives. Doing everything you can to support your communities in protecting them from Ebola can help you fulfill your mission.
Key Messages
Protect your Community
Support efforts to eliminate Ebola by helping to identify ways communities can effectively protect themselves consistent with religious beliefs, and share that information with followers, members, families, friends and community members.
Support efforts in advocacy and implementation of Ebola elimination campaigns.
Share information with followers, members, families and communities.
Safe Burial
When someone dies from Ebola, there is a lot of Ebola virus living in the dead body.
Ebola can easily spread from the dead body to other people when we care for our dead family members the way we are usually do.
Ebola can spread when we touch or kiss the dead body, wash the dead body, when we plait or cut the hair of the dead body, when we dress the dead body, brush the dead body’s teeth or bury the dead body by ourselves.
Any person that touches the dead body can catch Ebola!
Stigma
The Ebola virus is difficult for all of us. It has taken away our culture of caring and being concerned for each other. We are afraid to talk about it because people can reject us, our family members, our community members and our health care workers. This is especially true for those that have survived Ebola. It is important that we all help each other.
People who have survived an infection with the Ebola virus are no longer carrying the live virus and cannot infect other people (except through sex, because semen can still carry the live virus for up to 3 months).
People who survived the Ebola virus cannot be infected with the same virus again, so they are the safest people. They can help provide care for other people who may have been infected with Ebola or children who have been exposed to Ebola.
Welcome survivors and anyone whose lives have been touched by Ebola back into the home and the community. Encourage and help them to participate in community activities.
Communication Strategy Guidance
View guidance on how to develop a message strategy.