The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Caribbean has redounded in the Region working together, to find the best strategies to combat issues resulting from the disease. One such issue is the rise to the term Infodemic - an overload of information, often false or unverified. To combat these fallacies and instead draw attention to the best prevention and treatment options available, there is a need for timely, accurate information in the right format and voice. Moreover, health information providers need to be more aware of the health literacy needs of the targeted audiences and consider this when developing messages. Using a train-the-trainer approach, CARPHA will use this project to support the need for the creation of a Caribbean Audio Campaign to develop credible, clear, and timely public health messages within the CARPHA Member States. The target audience for this training will be health promotion and communication professionals, and local organisations responsible for creating public health messages. These will include non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, and Ministries of Health.
Given the expected reach of the training, CARPHA is proposing at least two (2) cohorts within the project implementation period. Additionally, trainers who have successfully completed the Training of Trainers programme will be given the opportunity to act as resource personnel in future Caribbean Audio Campaigns. Within the new paradigms as it relates to inter and intra border movement, combatting cross-border public health crises increasingly requires technological tools. Audiopedia presents the Region with a tool that will allow for the dissemination of messages with relative ease to the targeted population in a systematic and sustained manner. The training will centre around creating audio content for people with low health literacy and use of the Audiopedia technology. To ensure that the messaging suits the needs of the targeted audience, select beneficiaries will participate in the development and testing of messages during the training. The training on message development will span the creation of the message to its production as an audio file. It will allow participants to record audio content in various settings by using their mobile devices, receive comments from community-based personnel as well as the opportunity to field test messages created. CARPHA will also embark on developing a CARPHA/Audiopedia repository linked to the Audiopedia repository. In addition, participants will be introduced to the mechanics of the repository and trained in the essentials for message upload and access.