Vanuatu strengthens pandemic preparedness with a new national Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) strategy

During and since the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have made significant investments to further strengthen pandemic preparedness capacities in the 21 Pacific Island countries and areas, including in the field of RCCE.

From April to June 2025, the Ministry of Health of Vanuatu, with technical guidance from WHO, led the development of a national RCCE strategy, which will help institutionalize preparedness for a wide range of health challenges including influenza. The strategy will also help outline how the country engages and communicates with communities before, during, and after public health emergencies including influenza pandemics.

Tonga was the first country in the Pacific Islands to publish such a strategy last year, and consultations will begin soon for other countries, such as Fiji. A national RCCE strategy is a core part of pandemic preparedness and is an included in the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework's High Level Implementation Plan III (2024-2030).

Credit: WHO / BREJ Pacific
Caption: Participants during a group exercise at the RCCE workshop in Vanuatu

Multi-sectoral consultations

A national consultation held on 6 June 2025 in Port Vila brought together 21 representatives from key sectors including the Ministry of Health, the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Climate Change, the National Disaster Management Office, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Vision, and others. Participants contributed insights on coordination in the time of crisis, including streamlined information flows with partners and media, mechanisms for disseminating messages to communities through local organizations, and rapid use of pre-approved messages. They also reflected on effective communication channels, such as trusted leaders in the communities, drawing from on-the-ground experiences during COVID-19, other respiratory outbreaks, and other emergencies.

The consultation, co-facilitated by WHO and the Ministry of Health, raised practical recommendations to improve risk communication systems, as well as mechanisms to reach vulnerable and remote populations - for example, by creating standard operating procedures for community engagement and clearly defining roles and responsibilities at national and provincial levels. These and other revisions have been incorporated into the revised RCCE strategy, which has been further reviewed at a second consultation on 10 June with 20 Ministry of Health officials, including provincial teams, ensuring that the strategy was informed by experience across all levels of the health system. The strategy resulting from this consultation has now been submitted for Ministerial endorsement.

A foundation for influenza preparedness

Among other health emergencies, the RCCE strategy strengthens Vanuatu's ability to respond effectively to influenza pandemics and seasonal influenza outbreaks, where timely, accurate, and trusted communication can shape health outcomes. It introduces a systematized approach to information flow, messaging coordination, and community mobilization - critical for countering misinformation, promoting vaccine uptake, and encouraging targeted interventions.