# 4688
My thanks and a big hat tip to Crof at Crofsblog for posting a link to what he rightfully calls the ` absolute must read’ of the day; an in-depth analysis of the World Health Organization’s pandemic communications and the charges of a `fake pandemic’.
The “Fake Pandemic” Charge Goes Mainstream and WHO’s Credibility Nosedives
by Peter M. Sandman and Jody Lanard
The extremely long assessment that follows advances an argument we can summarize in a single sentence:
The absurd charge that the World Health Organization (WHO) hyped a fake pandemic in order to enrich Big Pharma has gained undeserved mainstream credibility mostly because WHO has badly mishandled its risk communication about three issues: (a) the mildness of the pandemic (so far); (b) the debatable meaning of the term “influenza pandemic”; and (c) the inevitable – but not culpable – structural conflicts of interest of WHO advisors.
Dr. Peter Sandman is an internationally recognized expert on effective crisis communications, and he along with his wife and colleague Dr. Jody Lanard produce a wealth of invaluable risk management advice on their website:
I’ve highlighted their work on numerous occasions, including:
Referral: Risk Communication and Disasters
Peter Sandman: Swine Flu For Grownups
Experts: `Mild’ Is A Misleading Term For This Pandemic
Peter Sandman On Pandemic Risk Communication
