Communication for Health: Lessons from COVID-19 Communication Measurement, Evaluation, and Learning

Emergency risk communication is an integral component of an emergency response, including to the coronavirus disease pandemic. Designing and implementing effective communication, particularly in the context of new, evolving public health crises, requires systematic measurement, evaluation, and learning (MEL). In the Western Pacific Region, the World Health Organization (WHO) response to COVID-19 was guided by the Communication for Health (C4H) approach, which included developing and applying a robust MEL framework. This article describes how the WHO in the Western Pacific developed and applied a MEL framework to enhance and assess the effectiveness of COVID-19 communication throughout the pandemic lifecycle, from preparedness to response and recovery. It summarizes lessons and provides recommendations for MEL application in future public health emergencies. Key lessons include the importance of incorporating MEL in the emergency preparedness phase, maintaining flexibility in MEL plan development and implementation, using agile methodologies, conducting phased data collection, and leveraging all available data sources. Ensuring MEL results are disseminated and their application tracked for further improvement is essential. Additionally, building MEL capacity not only facilitates the design of stronger MEL and smoother implementation but also enhances the likelihood that evaluation results are effectively understood and applied.