Advocacy in Health Communication

Advocacy for public health includes representing, speaking for, or elevating the voices of people affected by public health issues; facilitating communication between those affected and policymakers; and organizing or supporting coalitions and other initiatives around public health issues. Whether it’s writing letters, sending emails, or meeting with the media, policymakers, or stakeholders of an industry or community, advocacy for public health plays an important role in advancing public health goals.

Resources for Advocacy in Health Communication

These guides and toolkits can inform your public health advocacy efforts: 

• American Public Health Association - Advocacy for Public Health
• Annual Review of Public Health - Public Health and Media Advocacy
• Association of Public Health Nurses - APHN Public Health Policy Advocacy Guide Book and Toolkit
• Global Health Advocacy Incubator - Public Health Media Advocacy Action Guide Elements Of A Media Advocacy Campaign
• Institute for Public Strategies - The Art of Media Advocacy: How to Use News to Elevate Community Voices and Advance Change
  
• ​National Association of County and City Health Officials - The NACCHO Advocacy Toolkit

1. Combatting Health Misinformation

Health misinformation includes rumors, myths, conspiracy theories, and other unproven claims regarding health-related data or information that are false or misleading. Health misinformation continues to be a widespread problem online, and can create confusion and cause people to make decisions that are detrimental to their health.

Resources for Combatting Health Misinformation

​These resources will help with identifying and reporting health misinformation:

• CDC Foundation, de Beaumont Foundation, and Trust for America’s Health - Public Health Communications Collaborative
• Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University - The Debunking Handbook 2020
  
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health - Finding and Evaluating Online Resources
• Network of the National Library of Medicine - Evaluating Health Websites
• Network of the National Library of Medicine - Identifying and Combating Health Misinformation
• ​World Health Organization - How to Report Misinformation Online

2. Cross-Sector Communication for Public Health

Cross-sector communication is a must for public health professionals and organizations, because the social determinants of health span several non-health sectors, including: 

• Housing, community planning
• Transportation, motor vehicle supervision, and highway safety
• Climate, energy, conservation, and environment
• Human and social services 
• Public safety, law enforcement, and corrections
• Business and economic development
• Faith-based, charitable, civic and professional organizations
• Education systems
• Parks and recreation
• Courts and judiciary systems
• Public works and infrastructure
• Agriculture and food safety

Resources for Cross-Sector Communication for Public Health

These tools and resources will help you in your efforts to communicate and coordinate with representatives from public, nonprofit, and private entities across sectors.

• de Beaumont Foundation and Aspen Institute - Good Health Is Good Business: The Value Proposition of Partnerships Between Businesses and Governmental Public Health Agencies to Improve Community Health
• de Beaumont Foundation and Aspen Institute - Public Health Reaching Across Sectors (PHRASES)
  
• ​Public Health Institute and American Public Health Association - Health in All Policies: A Guide for State and Local Governments

Need help with your health communication?

Let's Talk Public Health can conduct and support your health communication, marketing, promotion, and education-related activities. We provide services for digital communication and marketing, digital media design, edutainment and experiential learning, digital engagement, health branding, and capacity-building. 

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