A crash course in infectious diseases and epidemic response
One of my favourite parts of my job is meeting scientists from around the world who are tackling the pressing issues of our time and learning about their research.
Over the past month, I received a crash course in infectious diseases (the type that spread from animals to humans) and community-focused solutions for preventing epidemics from researchers with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)'s Collaborative One Health Research Initiative on Epidemics (COHRIE). The initiative includes four projects in nine countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. The projects apply a One Health approach, which recognises the links between human, animal, and environmental health.
Science communication specialist Brendon Bosworth running an online science communication training session for researchers with the IDRC's Collaborative One Health Research Initiative on Epidemics (COHRIE).
It's been a busy month! My three highlights were:
🔬 Running an online science communication training session covering the fundamentals of effective science communication. With participants joining from Cali to Kampala, we had great discussions about how to communicate complex disease-related science in accessible language using locally relevant analogies and reference points.
🎤 Working with panellists taking part in a moderated panel discussion at the World One Health Congress in Cape Town to collaboratively shape key messages about project impacts and prepare for the live event.
📢 Running an in-person session with the researchers and the IDRC team on communicating cross-project findings for impact as part of a one-day knowledge synthesis workshop in Cape Town (led by facilitator extraordinaire Dr. Marie Parramon-Gurney).
COHRIE researchers in discussion at the knowledge synthesis workshop. 19 September, 2024. Credit: Brendon Bosworth.
With memories of COVID-19 still fresh in mind, and Mpox recently declared a public health emergency of international concern, I'm glad to know that scientists like these are out on the frontlines, working to ensure that infectious diseases are better monitored and that evidence-based policies and practices are in place to reduce the risk of epidemics.
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Brendon Bosworth is a communications specialist and science communication trainer. He is the principal consultant at Human Element Communications.