Public health experts from around the world met in Dubai, UAE earlier this month to learn the latest in media and communications strategies.
The Union’s International Management Development Programme course focused on how media can be used to highlight health projects, promote health messages and encourage behavior change for healthier lifestyles.
Participants from 12 countries including Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Uzbekistan attended the five-day course.
Students learned how to set achievable objectives for health campaigns, create key messages, and use social media to amplify their campaign.
The course also covered how to evaluate the success of a campaign, by measuring its effectiveness in helping raise awareness and change behavior.
Students, created posters of their target audience, participated in a mock press conference and wrote a press statement about a real-life incident at a TB clinic in Mozambique, which was ransacked, after false rumors spread through the community. The case highlighted the consequences of miscommunication.
Each participant was guided through the development of their own strategic communications plan, specific to a health challenge in their country, which they can adapt for use in a future campaign.
To learn more about The Union’s IMDP courses, visit http://var/www/html.union-imdp.org