CISM prepares first Health Communication Forum
The Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) is preparing the first edition of the [Health Communication Forum (FCS)], an initiative that aims to place communication and evidence-based information at the centre of discussions on health in Mozambique.
Scheduled for late November, the Forum is expected to bring together health institutions, communication professionals and journalists, researchers, policymakers, civil society organisations, development partners, academia and the private sector, in a space for sharing experiences, reflecting on challenges and identifying solutions for more effective, accessible and people-centred health communication.
More than a space for debate, the FCS aims to establish itself as a platform for dialogue, learning, collaboration and partnership-building, recognising that health promotion depends not only on the availability of services and technologies, but also on the ability to communicate information in a clear, timely, credible and context-appropriate manner, taking into account different social and cultural contexts.
In a country characterised by considerable linguistic, cultural and socioeconomic diversity, effective communication is particularly important for bringing health policies and services closer to communities, promoting health literacy, strengthening trust in institutions and encouraging greater community participation.
The Forum therefore seeks to promote a pragmatic reflection on how to make health communication more strategic, coordinated and effective. Key questions expected to guide the discussions include: How can health policies be brought closer to communities? How can communication within institutions be improved? How can the engagement of different stakeholders be strengthened? And how can new tools and platforms be better leveraged to reach increasingly diverse audiences?
According to Sónia Mocumbi, Head of the CISM Unit for Inter-Institutional Relations, Advocacy and Communication, the Forum represents an opportunity to rethink the role of communication in the health sector.
“We want the Forum to be a space where we not only discuss the challenges of health communication, but where different stakeholders can share experiences, identify solutions and establish partnerships that contribute to more strategic communication with a greater impact on people’s lives.”
The FCS will focus on four thematic areas: Communication and Access to Health Policies; Engagement and Financing; Intra-Hospital Communication; and Communication for Development. The intention is for the sessions to draw on concrete experiences, allowing participants to identify good practices, common challenges and solutions that can be adapted and applied in different contexts.
An Open Forum for Partnerships
The first edition of the FCS also represents an opportunity for CISM to bring institutions closer together and foster new alliances around health communication. In this regard, the Forum is open to organisations interested in contributing to its implementation through different modalities, including co-organisation and strategic partnership, sponsorship and institutional support.
“We believe that no single actor can address the challenges of health communication alone. We want to build this Forum together with our partners, creating bridges between research, health institutions, communicators, policymakers and communities,” adds Sónia Mocumbi.
One of CISM’s main expectations is that the Forum will not end with the closing of the final session. The aim is for the contacts established, experiences shared and ideas generated throughout the meeting to translate into new collaborations, initiatives and concrete solutions, including multilateral partnerships that contribute to strengthening the health communication ecosystem and expanding communities’ access to credible and quality health information.
Comments