28.I. Workshop: Communication in public health: neglected but essential
Authors:   Organised by: University of Pisa (Italy),   Chair persons: Michael Moore - Australia, Erica De Vita - Italy
Published: October 2020

The realization that not only research but also effective communication is essential to promoting and protecting the health of the public was a fundamental milestone in the emerging discipline of public health communication. Although we are beginning to talk more and more about health communication, it is, in the common view, still too often identified as a soft skill of the individual professional, and therefore as a minor competence in public health. Fortunately, many of today's public health leaders realize that promoting health and protecting the public require effective public health communication - as emerged clearly during EUPHA2019 conference in Marseille.

The essential components of the communication process (channel, source, receiver, and message) are dynamic and change continuously in public health: emergencies follow one another rapidly, and communication channels evolve very quickly in the digital era. The impact, trust, and authority of traditional media are in decline. People are also willing to actively participate and share their views and information, including on health issues, through social networks. This explains the emergence of the new social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok) as a central space for communicating and re-connecting with the public. Websites were mentioned as widely used to convey health messages, like ongoing health campaigns addressed to different groups (e.g. campaign on seasonal influenza vaccination) or during crisis communication (e.g. absolutely up to date is the example of coronavirus disease 2019).

This workshop aims to explore the importance of appropriate communication by analysing practical examples of the diversity of communication modalities, language, target audiences and objectives. Furthermore, public health communication, to be effective, requires an integrated approach to engage the relevant stakeholders such as research institutes, health professionals, partner organisations (e.g. private institutions), policymakers, associations (e.g. population representatives, patients' associations, CSOs/NGOs, citizens associations protecting the poor) and individuals.

The use of health communication principles is fundamental at all levels, from government organizations and agencies at central and sub-national level to individuals and citizens: public health experts need to advocate policymakers and all stakeholders, who interact with each other determine the health system and its governance and are involved in the decision-making process, to empower the population, that never more than now require to be the principal actor in their own health decision.

Key messages

Public health communication is an essential component of any effective public health strategy and initiative, yet it is often neglected and under-resourced. Communication in public health is multifaceted: it is required in a diverse range of scenarios; it may target different population groups and engage various institutions and experts.