Health experts have stressed that trust, community engagement, and effective communication are critical to controlling infectious disease outbreaks.
They made this known at a one-day high-level public health symposium themed “Lessons on Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Insights from China and Nigeria,” held on Monday in Abuja.
The event brought together public health professionals, scientists, and key stakeholders to review lessons from both countries’ responses to past health emergencies.
Dr Liukui Wang of the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said pandemic response is not only a technical challenge but fundamentally a social one.
“Even the most effective interventions only work if people are willing and able to use them,” he said.
Wang noted that the success of disease control measures depends largely on social behaviour, trust in information, and community engagement. He highlighted the influence of social structures in Nigeria, including religious institutions and informal networks.
“Messages shared in trusted spaces—such as WhatsApp groups or community gatherings—often carry more weight. Engagement must be relational, consistent, and culturally sensitive,” he added.
He identified teachers, transport operators, and religious leaders as key actors in sustaining public trust.
Mrs Safiya Isa, Director of Advocacy and Partnerships at Nigeria Health Watch, underscored the importance of social listening, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People respond better when messages acknowledge their concerns—whether about infection risks, disbelief, or the economic impact of interventions like lockdowns,” she said.
Isa called for rapid dissemination of accurate information through the same channels used to spread misinformation.
“Authorities must not only listen but also act on feedback and communicate consistently to build trust,” she said, highlighting the role of traditional rulers, ward development committees, and two-way communication platforms.
Prof. Haitao Hu, a Chinese microbiologist and immunologist, emphasised the need for preparedness before outbreaks occur.
“It is ineffective to engage communities only during a crisis. People must already understand basic preventive measures and have some awareness of diseases,” he said.
Hu stressed the importance of integrating local voices into planning structures, including Risk Communication and Community Engagement Technical Working Groups, to ensure culturally appropriate messaging.
Dr Tochi Okwor, Head of Disease Prevention and Control at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said sustained trust depends on consistent service delivery.
“If communities encounter poor service—such as vaccine stockouts—it becomes difficult to rebuild trust during outbreaks,” she said.
Panellists also highlighted “social vaccination”—the proactive dissemination of accurate information before misinformation spreads—as a key strategy to improve compliance and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
They agreed that once misinformation takes hold, it is significantly harder to correct.
The discussions underscored that both Nigeria and China face similar challenges, including vaccine hesitancy and the rapid spread of misinformation.
Experts concluded that effective pandemic preparedness requires collaboration among scientists, communication specialists, policymakers, and community leaders.
They called for sustained investment in trust-building, proactive communication, and community engagement, noting that these social interventions are as critical as scientific and technical measures in safeguarding public health.
