The first-ever WHO Collaborating Centre (CC) on Risk Communication, Community Engagement and Infodemic Management (RCCE-IM) has launched at Kristiania University of Applied Sciences in Norway. During a 4-year partnership with WHO, the new CC will conduct high-quality research to help national health authorities and health practitioners on the ground to design timely and effective RCCE-IM interventions during health emergencies.
RCCE-IM is vital for building trust between communities and health authorities, and increasing the acceptance and uptake of protective measures. Public health interventions need data to inform decisions, and the new CC will leverage insights from recent emergencies to support more effective, evidence-based actions that can be rapidly implemented during emergencies to save lives.
A critical milestone in health security
Based at Kristiania University’s School of Communication, Leadership, and Marketing in Oslo, the new centre will focus specifically on supporting RCCE-IM in health emergency preparedness, response and resilience. It joins a global network of over 800 WHO CCs, of which 265 are in the European Region.
Led by Professor Audra Diers-Lawson, an internationally recognized expert in risk and crisis communication, the centre will bridge research and real-world application. Professor Diers-Lawson advised the European Parliament on risk communication during the COVID-19 pandemic and was appointed to WHO’s first-ever technical advisory group on RCCE-IM in 2023. Under her leadership, the centre aims to use practical solutions to advance knowledge and countries’ capabilities in this crucial field.
“Professor Diers-Lawson and her team will support WHO in conducting the right studies and asking the right questions to better understand communities at risk from or affected by emergencies,” said Ihor Perehinets, WHO/Europe’s Regional Emergency Director. “They will help WHO to do this rapidly and rigorously, ensuring a maximum impact on saving lives in an age of permacrisis, with health emergencies, from emerging infectious diseases to climate-related crises, arriving faster than ever.”
RCCE-IM in health emergencies
Recent health emergencies in Europe have underscored the importance of RCCE-IM.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, RCCE-IM practitioners in the Western Balkans and South Caucasus used community insights to shape response efforts, ensuring that interventions were locally relevant and effective. By establishing a feedback and engagement mechanism with community influencers, civil society organizations and vulnerable groups, local authorities were better prepared to translate health information and advice into action. This strengthened public trust in health ministries, improved vaccination efforts and drove innovative cross-platform campaigns.
Similarly, when the European Region became the initial epicentre of the 2022 mpox outbreak, WHO and health authorities co-created interventions with affected communities, ensuring culturally relevant messaging. This approach accelerated response efforts, helping to contain the outbreak and reduce its impact.