Following the initial outbreak of COVID-19, the first challenge was to instruct citizens what to do and why. Formal guidance and restrictions were first published in Hebrew, followed by gradual translations into Arabic and other languages.
However, members of the MAOZ healthcare Network believed that mere translations were not sufficient: for Arabic-speaking citizens to truly understand, the messages needed to be adapted and communicated appropriately.
MAOZ Network members rose to the task: Dr. Rami Grefat, Adel Iktelat, Ahmad Muhana, Dr. Anan Abbasi and Prof. Rabia Khalaila worked together to articulate the precise messaging. The Network members took the Arab society’s unique cultural makeup and circumstances into account.
Together, they participated in a day of filming to create a series of dedicated short videos in Arabic that were distributed among the Arabic-speaking public and which received widespread exposure.