ACHC symposium: ‘Effective communication for pandemic preparedness’

On April 8, 2025, the ACHC symposium took place, centered around the theme ‘Effective communication for pandemic preparedness’. The symposium was organised by Bas van den Putte and Adriana Solovei, and brought together researchers, policymakers, and communication professionals to reflect on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic for improved communication during health crises.


The program began with a presentation by Jeannette de Boer and Femke Overbosch (Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Center), who used a realistic avian flu scenario to discuss what should or should not be communicated during various phases of a pandemic.

Aurélie De Waele (Ghent University) then explored the roles of various actors, such as health authorities, healthcare providers, and politicians, in health crisis communication, and how consistent or conflicting messages can influence public trust.

After lunch, six short Blitz presentations highlighted recent research findings on topics such as communication with vulnerable groups, misinformation, and mental health.

Afterwards, Maarten Keulemans (de Volkskrant) discussed the role of journalism during times of crisis and the challenges of translating complex information into clear and reliable reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adriana Solovei (University of Amsterdam) then presented research on media use and interpersonal communication, and how these factors influence behavior during a pandemic.

 

Rita Timmerman (Public Information and Communication Service, Ministry of General Affairs) discussed how behavioral insights were applied in government communication during the pandemic and what are the lessons learned for future crises.

Bas van den Putte (University of Amsterdam) concluded the symposium with a reflection on the contributions of the previous speakers and on the role of health communication researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He discussed how recent research findings can contribute to more effective communication and better decision-making in future health crises. He emphasized the importance of a sustainable knowledge infrastructure and integrated advice across disciplines such as biomedical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, economics, and communication science.

The symposium was made possible by the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), the Netherlands-Flanders Communication Association (NeFCA), the Association for Researchers in Psychology and Health (ARPH), and the Health Behaviour & Chronic Diseases Research Program at Amsterdam Public Health.

We look back on an inspiring day!