Strategies and Lessons in Public Health Communication During Crises: Managing Misinformation, Trust, and Behavioral Compliance

Effective public health communication is essential for managing crises, guiding behavior, and maintaining societal trust. This review synthesizes global lessons from health emergencies including SARS, Ebola, and COVID-19 to examine strategies for combating misinformation, strengthening trust, and promoting behavioral compliance. Crisis communication is shaped by theories of risk perception, behavioral psychology, and media dynamics, emphasizing that message success depends on clarity, credibility, and cultural relevance. Technological shifts have transformed communication landscapes, making social media both a vital information channel and a driver of misinformation. Successful crisis responses rely on transparency, timeliness, empathy, and consistency across agencies. Building and sustaining trust requires open dialogue, accountability, and long-term engagement with communities. Managing misinformation demands coordinated fact-checking, digital monitoring, media literacy, and partnerships with trusted local figures. Behavioral compliance is strengthened through evidence-based messaging, social norms, and two-way communication. Case studies from New Zealand, South Korea, and WHO-led campaigns demonstrate the value of data-driven, culturally attuned strategies. Persistent challenges including fragmented messaging, political interference, and digital inequities underscore the need for integrated communication systems. Future progress requires embedding communication expertise into preparedness planning, leveraging technology ethically, and fostering resilient information ecosystems grounded in trust and human-centered design. .