October 19, 2023

World Health Organization: Communication for Health (C4H) 2024-2026

This week at the 74th meeting of the WHO Regional Committee Meeting (RCM74) for the Western Pacific, States Parties discussed and voted on the Draft Regional Action Framework Communication for Health (C4H). C4H was established in 2019 as a technical programme supporting Member States in the Region. 

WHO (2023) Regional Action Framework on Communication for Health: A vision for using communication to improve public health in the Western Pacific Region (WPR/RC74/7 page 7 ANNEX) https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/regional-committee/session-74/wpr-rc74-agenda-13-communication-for-health-annex.pdf?sfvrsn=47febfd6_1
C4H was introduced by Ms Olivia Lawe-Davies, Communications Manager and acting Executive Officer, Regional Director’s Office, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific. 

"C4H refers to a set of principles and practices that help to ensure communications are designed to inform and change attitudes and behaviours in ways that can support the achievement of defined public health outcomes at the individual, community and societal levels." (WHO, 2023, p. 6) 

Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Acting Regional Director for the Western Pacific stated in April 2023 “C4H recognizes that health communication can play a vital role alongside other public health interventions to extend lives and improve public health outcomes at individual, community and societal levels.” (WHO, 2023, p. 7). 

"C4H is based on six principles: informed by data and theory; measurable; planned; audience- and peoplecentred; collaborative; and targeted. Application of the C4H approach requires a series of steps to first understand, then plan, develop, test and implement a communication programme or campaign, before evaluating and identifying lessons." WPR/RC74/7 page 11

The following C4H video was played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdamEZj9I_w&list=PLA7dYQkD0Btrdj8ajTfUJYJ3xW0vrqWD1&index=1

During this week I have had conversations with many people to discuss C4H, the health workforce, the importance of communication for all, and how speech-language pathologists and other communication professionals can support WHO's committment to C4H for ALL including:

  • Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, the incoming WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific
Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, incoming Regional Director

  • Ms Anna Biernat, Communications Officer, WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, Philippines and other members of her office who created the C4H initiative
  • Sharynne McLeod with Eloise Adsett and Anna Biernat, Communications Officer, WHO

  • Dr Angela Pratt, WHO Representative Office, Viet Nam
  • Ms Janet Camacho, Deputy Director of Operations and Programs, Pacific Island Health Officers Association, Hawai'i along with colleagues from Guam, Mariana Islands and Palau
  • Dr Revite Kirition, Director General of Health, Kiribati
  • Ms Carrie Laurenson and Ms Eseese Sina Georgina Fa-aiuga, Samoa
  • Hon Ratu Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu, Minister for Health and Medical Services, Fiji
  • Dr Miranda Smith, Senior Global Health Officer, Office of Asia and the Pacific, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, USA
  • Ms Ines Ferrer, Scientific Mission Officer, Ambassade De France aux Philippines et en Micronesie
  • Mr Blair Exell, Deputy Secretary, Health Strategy, First Nations and Sport, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government
  • Ms Fleur Davies, Assistant Secretary, Multilateral Health Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government
  • Mr Andreas Anargyros, Assistant Director, International Strategic Branch, Department of Health and Aged Care
  • Discussing C4H with colleagues from Hawai'i, Mariana Islands and Guam

    Ms Carrie Laurenson and Ms Eseese Sina Georgina Fa-aiuga, Samoa

    Dr Jackie Leung Ching-kan, Hong Kong China

    Dr Revite Kirition, Director General of Health, Kiribati

    Dr Angela Pratt, WHO Representative Office, Viet Nam

    Ms Fleur Davies, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
    Australian Government
Member States who provided interventions were: Vanuatu, Fiji, Mongolia, Cook Islands, Samoa, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Philippines, Brunei Darusalam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, USA, China, Hong Kong China, US Territories, Japan, Papula New Guinea, Palau, Kitibati, Korea and two Non State Actors. 

In my submitted intervention on behalf of the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP), I commend the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific for the C4H initiative and the Disability-inclusive health services toolkit: A resource for health facilities in the Western Pacific Region https://www.who.int/westernpacific/publications-detail/9789290618928. I commended WHO for including communication disability, "People Who Have Trouble Speaking" (p. 67) AND "People With Hearing Impairment" (p. 64) in the section on "Practical strategies for communicating inclusive health information" and also offered recommendations for expanding understanding about communication disability and strategies for communicating inclusive health information based on the following work we have undertaken. The intervention profiles the work published in our two special issues of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology addressing the United Nations' agendas: 

and new book published by IALP, in which many of our team are authors: 

I also shared the work of our Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research Group to listen to children:



Here is information about the development of C4H
Labels: , , , ,