8 – 10 February 2022, Morogoro: Risk communicators must customize messaging to meet the needs and values of specific target audiences. This is because message design can influence the effectiveness of a message and ultimately behavior change.

Knowing the audience is also key to successfully delivering messages. The migratory behavior of fishers and livestock keepers for example presents a unique challenge to risk communicators, emphasizing the need for tailor-made messaging.

It is in this context that a group of risk communication and community engagement experts met for a week-long session in Morogoro to redesign COVID-19 communication products targeting farming, livestock and fishery communities.

The working session convened by the Ministry of Health - Health Promotion Section (HPS) in close collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) – One Health desk gathered partners and key actors from the Ministry of Health; Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MoLF); President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG); Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism-TANAPA; WHO and FAO.

During the working session, experts were able to discuss how to make the content relevant to the target audience and preferred communication channels that will be used to disseminate the messages.

Findings from three KAP studies conducted since the onset of the pandemic have emphasized on the need to pay attention not only to the message but also the “messenger”. The team of experts also managed to map potential trusted mobilizers, influencers and networks of fishers, livestock keepers and farmers that will be engaged to deliver the messages.

Final communication products incorporated images and symbols that are familiar to the target audience so that they can relate to the health information provided. Prior mass production, the communication products will be pretested among fishers, farmers and livestock keepers in Rukwa, Lindi and Ruvuma Regions.