Cholera - Union of the Comoros

In April 2024, at the request of the French Red Cross and the Comoros Red Crescent, I proposed a communication strategy to the Ministry of Health of the Union of the Comoros for the cholera epidemic that was then hitting the country.

An anthropological survey carried out by the French Red Cross had revealed widespread denial of the disease, which was often seen as a government invention, a poor understanding of how it is transmitted, and an underestimation of risk behaviors. The main message in circulation, that cholera was “the dirty hands disease,” was felt to be insulting. It also led people to deny the reality of cholera cases occurring in families regarded as “clean.”

Communication strategy:
1. Explain that the disease is caused by an invisible microbe. Food and water that look clean can be contaminated by it.
2. Explain the routes of transmission and the risk behaviors, which often depend on gender and age.
3. To counter denial, show the reality of the disease through the testimonies of health workers, patients, and relatives of people who had died of cholera.

The strategy was broken down into plans targeting specific population segments, each with an estimated budget.