Glossary

Unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common

interest; mutual support within a group.

Mass media can facilitate information flow, but effective communication must also be

two-way and interactive. Nowadays, we can rely on a vast array of electronic media,

ranging from Internet forums to blogs, from instant messaging to social networks. Many

of these social media services can be integrated through aggregation platforms. As a

result, in the globalised, interconnected world, neighbourly – although “electronic

neighbourly” – is becoming an essential value and this is extremely relevant to

outbreak communication as well. (1)

Social justice is viewed as so central to the mission of public health that it has been

described as the field’s core value. Among the most basic and commonly understood

meanings of justice is fair, equitable, and appropriate treatment in light of what is due

or owed to individuals and groups. Justice, for example, can offer guidance on how to

allocate scarce therapeutic resources in a public health crisis, such as pandemic

influenza.

Also known as variola. Smallpox is an acute contagious disease caused by the variola

virus, a member of the orthopoxvirus family. It was one of the world's most devastating

diseases known to humanity. It was declared eradicated in 1980 following a global

immunization campaign led by the World Health Organization.

Smallpox was transmitted from person to person via infective droplets during close

contact with infected symptomatic people. Vaccine administered up to 4 days after