To continue this free service to you, we include affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission from purchases made through links. Commissions received from linked purchases will help fund ongoing costs.
The Ministry of Health launched the Multi-Hazard Risk Communication and Community Engagement Strategy for 2024-2025 (MHRCCES) yesterday, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region.
The event featured Dr. Sisilia Fusi Fifita, Acting CEO of the Ministry, as the guest of honor. Dr. Fifita explained that the strategy is designed to guide ministry staff in delivering timely and accurate information, engaging media partners, and empowering community leaders to better prepare for disasters.
“The goal is to ensure that the public receives reliable information about various hazards and to combat misinformation on social media and in communities,” Dr. Fifita stated, noting that the MHRCCES was developed in response to challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Fifita also called on the public and attendees to work with the ministry to achieve the strategy’s objectives.
Supervising NCD Nurse Sister Seilini Soakai raised concerns about misinformation negatively affecting the uptake of the HPV vaccination for cervical cancer among young females. “Religious figures on Christian television opposed our vaccination efforts, which led to skepticism among the public,” she said. “Tonga once had a high vaccination uptake, but misinformation has impacted this.”
Dr. Ofa Tukia, Head of the Health Promotion Unit, expressed confidence that the new MHRCCES will help rebuild trust in the Ministry of Health and its staff. “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the difficulty of fighting misinformation on social media,” Dr. Tukia remarked.
Tonga is the first Pacific nation to develop this comprehensive risk communication strategy.