Communication and Coordination

Welcome to “Communications and Coordination.”

As a learner in this course, you are part of a growing team – moving toward ensuring that high-quality, effective communication and coordination are a part of every public health response in the ECOWAS region.

We’re glad you’re here.

The objective of this course is to acquaint you with issues, challenges, and priorities associated with communication and coordination. We’ll talk about foundational knowledge that empowers us and gets us on the same page.

 

By the end of this course, you will have made your way through a variety of topics and activities.

 

***

 

You’ll learn about:

 

·         The Incident Command System, which organizes and governs effective responses across every level.

 

You’ll review:

 

·         Surge capacity and surge capability.

·         What it may look like to maintain continuity during an emergency response.

 

 

As part of priority ECOWAS cross-cutting issues, we’ll look at:

 

·         Antimicrobial resistance or AMR; and

·         The One Health approach.

 

We’ll also talk about partnership frameworks, in the general sense and also within the ECOWAS framework:

 

·         How clearly identifying – and articulating – WHAT we need is the only way to actually GET what we need.

 

You’ll also check out what it takes to get an EOC up to speed within the parameters of the Global Health Security Agenda “Emergency Operations Center” Action Package.

 

 

***

 

WHO defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being – not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (Preamble to the Constitution of WHO 1948)

 

***   

 

As a participant in this course and project, you’re a trailblazer in health. Your next steps include face-to-face workshops with other enthusiastic and trailblazing colleagues – all sharing the same goal of improving the health of people in West Africa.

 

Your role as a leader is unique. The activities throughout the course may take you into the weeds – places where you may not necessarily go as part of your day-to-day activities.

 

But you can be sure: The activities in this course are part of the day-to-day responsibilities of somebody who’s in your organization. Part of your role as a leader is to understand and appreciate what’s done at every level – and what needs to be done.

 

That’s why you’re here.

 

***

 

Pro-tip: Do the online activities that are part of this course before you come to the face-to-face workshop. At the workshops, you’ll be building on what you’ve done online. You’ll get much more out of the workshop if you’ve done the activities.

 

Plus, you don’t want to be the only person who comes to the workshop empty-handed, right?

 

***

 

Thank you for being a part of this journey into Communication and Coordination. Welcome to the team. Let’s go.

 

 

###

 

 

 

Reference:

 

Preamble to the Constitution of WHO (1948). New York: World Health Organization (WHO) Retrieved from https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/frequently-asked-questions.