In the COVID-19 response, some sites are reporting challenges in reaching large numbers of refugee, immigrant, and migrant (RIM) community members to disseminate consistent health messaging and awareness of existing services.
Health Messaging during Community Events
Health departments are partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) to add public health messaging to existing community events such as outdoor movie nights. During intermissions or after the movie, public service announcements (PSAs) developed by multilingual staff within the CBO are shared using health department-approved content. This time can also be used to conduct interactive quizzes or opportunities for anonymous resident questions through cell phone quiz applications.
Example in Colorado
The Colorado Department of Human Services’ State Refugee Health Coordinator and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Refugee Health Program collaborated with CBOs to add PSAs to movie nights in apartment and condominium complexes. Residents stay on their balconies to maintain physical distance while the movie is shown in the courtyard. Culturally sensitive PSAs developed by the CBO were shown to reinforce and normalize mask-wearing and other safe COVID-19 practices. Free quiz applications were used to ask and answer questions about COVID-19 and the case investigation and contact tracing process.
