Risk communication and risk assessment of globalizational risk: an analysis of SARS

This article reflects the emergency measures taken by the Taiwanese government during the SARS outbreak, particularly risk assessment and risk communication. Being trapped in the traditional mode of medical emergency measures, the government failed to consider the dialectical influences among society, psychology, environment, and medicine. Due to ignorance, risks spread throughout society. In addition, the timing of information propaganda and communication was unsatisfactory. Thus, fears arose among the public, particularly those who were not clear about SARS infection routes. This article specifically indicates that emergency measures models should cooperate with multi-dimensional risk assessment and risk communication, as well as social and ethical concerns. Therefore, a set of communicative mechanisms can be constructively developed in response to globalizational risks