Portfolio
Yanira Santana Morales

On mission

FAO · Central African Republic

Senior Risk Communications Specialist

Strategic and crisis communications response

I turn technical response work into communications people can trust and act on.

17+ years in the field — currently Risk Communication Specialist for Animal Health, FAO Central African Republic.

Work with me See case studies

Risk & crisis comms · One Health · SBCC · EN / FR / ES / PT

What I do

Risk & crisis communications for the global food system.

Strategy, content and outreach for UN agencies, donors and governments responding to zoonotic disease, AMR and humanitarian crises.

  • Risk & Crisis Communication

    National strategies, SOPs and emergency playbooks — RVF, AMR, zoonoses.

  • One Health & SBCC

    Behaviour-change campaigns for farmers, vets and frontline communities.

  • Multilingual Outreach

    Radio, TV, posters and digital — EN / FR / ES / PT, validated locally.

  • Donor & Media Engagement

    Proposals, reporting and on-the-record media for UN, EU and bilaterals.

Selected work

Stories that inspire change across institutions, communities and systems.

A cross-section of articles, video, campaigns, reports and on-the-record media interventions.

View all work

Featured & quoted in

Reuters
The Guardian
Le Monde
WHO
UNICEF

Case studies

Problem → approach → outcome.

Three representative engagements showing how risk communication moves from strategy to measurable change in the field.

See full portfolio

FAO · Central African Republic · 2023–present

Standing up risk communication for animal health in a fragile state.

The challenge
Recurrent zoonotic outbreaks (RVF, anthrax, rabies) in a country with limited veterinary services, low literacy in remote areas and four working languages — and no national risk communication framework for animal health.
The approach
Built the country's first risk-comms playbook with the Ministry of Livestock: rapid-response SOPs, multilingual message banks (FR / Sango / Arabic), radio scripts for community stations, and a One Health coordination cell linking vets, public health and humanitarian actors.
The outcome
Faster, coordinated outbreak response and the first nationally-owned RC strategy for animal health — now used as a template by FAO country offices in the sub-region.

4

languages deployed

120+

community radio spots

1st

national RC framework

Regional · Sub-Saharan Africa · AMR

Behaviour-change campaign on Antimicrobial Resistance for farmers & vets.

The challenge
Misuse of veterinary antimicrobials by smallholder livestock keepers — driven by access patterns, weak prescription enforcement and low awareness of AMR risks across the One Health interface.
The approach
Audience research with farmers, agro-vets and para-vets; co-designed messaging tested in three languages; multi-channel rollout via radio, posters, WhatsApp voice notes and trained community influencers; trained 40+ national focal points on SBCC fundamentals.
The outcome
Measurable shifts in self-reported prescription-seeking behaviour at pilot sites, and a replicable SBCC package adopted by national One Health committees.

40+

focal points trained

3

languages validated

23

countries reached

UN system · Humanitarian & donor engagement

Donor-facing reporting and on-the-record media during food-security crises.

The challenge
Complex humanitarian operations needed clearer narratives for donors and journalists — without overstating impact or eroding source protection in conflict-affected areas.
The approach
Standardised donor reporting templates, evidence-led talking points and spokesperson coaching; managed on-the-record interventions with international outlets (Reuters, AFP, Le Monde, regional broadcasters) during active operations.
The outcome
Sustained donor confidence through multiple funding cycles and consistent, accurate coverage in tier-1 international press during sensitive operations.

17+

years in the system

Tier-1

media placements

4

working languages

Browse the work

Three ways into the portfolio.

Articles & Op-eds

Long-form pieces and field reporting on food systems, One Health and crisis response.

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Video & Documentary

Visual storytelling from the field — partners, communities and policy moments on camera.

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Reports & Briefs

Technical reports, policy briefs and donor-facing documentation, edited for impact.

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