ABSTRACT
Communication plays an essential role in encouraging preparedness for health, natural and organisational disasters, and in guiding the response to, and recovery from, these disasters. Influenced by stakeholders including media, politicians, the private sector, faith-based and community organisations, and community members, the way organisations communicate during health disasters is critical. Disasters in the health context can emerge directly from events such as pandemics and outbreaks of disease or infections (for example, Legionnaires’ disease or highly resistant staphylococcus aureus in hospital settings). Alternatively, they could be linked to effects of other natural, organisational or human-led disasters such as terrorist events.
