MIC, MAHE organised two day Consultation on Dynamics and Aspects of Public Health Communication in I

By Richard D’Souza
Bellevision Media Network

Manipal, 20 Jan 2024: Manipal Institute of Communication (MIC), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) organised two day Consultation on Dynamics and Aspects of Public Health Communication in India.

 

Speaking after inaugurating the two day programme, Prof. Madhu Veeraraghavan, Pro Vice-Chancellor, MLHSS and Bengaluru Campus introduced the topic of the discussion, which focused on the need, scope, and relevance of health communication. Dr Raghavan emphasized the importance of good communication in today’s world, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when miscommunication and social media chaos were prevalent. He highlighted how effective communication could have helped in fighting these challenges and improving health outcomes, he added.

 

 

Arbind Sinha (Adjunct Professor, MICA, Ahmedabad) highlighted the relevance of right information that needs to reach the right people, and further added that under such circumstances most of our public health needs can be met if such information is used properly by the target population. He also added that incase of pandemic a particular matter was clear: right information and communication led to lesser casualties. Hence, we need to create an environment preparing and empowering the target population with right communication/information for such eventualities.

 

Dr Rajni Kant Srivastava (Former & Founder Director of ICMR - Regional Medical Research Centre, Gorakhpur) highlighted the need for scientific research to be simplified and communicated to the community as otherwise the outcomes remain limited in its implications. 

 

Dr. Subhadra Menon (Public Health Communication and Advocacy Expert) said that Health communication is both science and art. It’s scientific yet creative and artistic at its core. She pointed at the need for numerical narratives in health communication to be deconstructed to social narratives for it to be fully effective, he said.

 

MIC director, Dr Padma Rani welcomed the gathering. Associate Professor Dr Manjula Veeraraghavan proposed the vote of thanks. Sanjay Singh from UNICEF Peter Chan, Subhadra Menon and Rajnikant Srivastava well known experts in the field of health communication participated.