M.11. Skills building seminar: Building Effective Public Health Communication Strategies
Abstract
Background: Strategic communication plays a crucial role in public health by translating goals, evidence, and recommendations into clear, targeted, and actionable messages. It supports awareness, behaviour change, stakeholder engagement, policy uptake, and the implementation of effective public health measures. This is increasingly important in today’s fragmented media landscape, where audiences face competing messages, misinformation, and varying levels of trust in institutions. Communication helps create the conditions for public health policies to be understood, accepted, adopted, and sustained. It can strengthen public mandate, counter misinformation, and support two-way dialogue with communities and stakeholders. At the same time, communication is only one part of a broader public health approach. A strategic approach helps identify where communication can be used effectively to support public health goals, policy implementation, and impact. This workshop focuses on applied, evidence-informed strategic communication in complex environments, with emphasis on inclusive and accessible communication practices.
Design: This interactive workshop is based on hands-on learning. Participants will develop elements of their own communication strategies using realistic public health scenarios, such as alcohol and cancer risk communication, youth nicotine use, or NCD policy uptake. The workshop builds on strategic communication work from JA PreventNCD and JACARDI, and integrates WHO/Europe’s strategic communications approach and real-world experience from NCD-related campaigns. It is adapted to a European context and relevant for both public health and policy communication.
Implementation: Participants will be guided through the key steps of developing a communication strategy: defining goals, identifying and segmenting audiences, tailoring messages, selecting channels, timing activities, identifying barriers and opportunities, strengthening collaboration, and developing an action plan. The workshop will also explore how behavioural insights, audience listening, pre-testing, co-design, and stakeholder collaboration can improve message relevance and impact.
Lessons learned: Strategic communication can help public health actors communicate objectives, activities, and policy recommendations in a targeted, inclusive, effective, and sustainable way. Participants will leave with practical tools to strengthen communication strategies, support policy implementation, and increase public health impact.
Key messages: • Strategic communication turns public health goals into action, building trust, supporting policy implementation, shaping behaviours.
• Communication and policy are stronger together. Clear, accessible information improves health literacy, supports prevention, and helps people make healthier choices across society.
Speakers/Panellists: Sinikka Kytö
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
Aleksandra Olsen
WHO/Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
Related
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BibTeX
@article{japreventncd2026skills,
title = {{M.11. Skills building seminar: Building Effective Public Health Communication Strategies}},
author = {JA PreventNCD, JACARDI, Division of Prevention and Health promotion WHO/Europe and Anita Thorolvsen Munch and Sólveig Karlsdóttir},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.636},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.636},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - M.11. Skills building seminar: Building Effective Public Health Communication Strategies
AU - JA PreventNCD, JACARDI, Division of Prevention and Health promotion WHO/Europe
AU - Anita Thorolvsen Munch
AU - Sólveig Karlsdóttir
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.636
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.636
AB - Background: Strategic communication plays a crucial role in public health by translating goals, evidence, and recommendations into clear, targeted, and actionable messages. It supports awareness, behaviour change, stakeholder engagement, policy uptake, and the implementation of effective public health measures. This is increasingly important in today’s fragmented media landscape, where audiences face competing messages, misinformation, and varying levels of trust in institutions. Communication helps create the conditions for public health policies to be understood, accepted, adopted, and sustained. It can strengthen public mandate, counter misinformation, and support two-way dialogue with communities and stakeholders. At the same time, communication is only one part of a broader public health approach. A strategic approach helps identify where communication can be used effectively to support public health goals, policy implementation, and impact. This workshop focuses on applied, evidence-informed strategic communication in complex environments, with emphasis on inclusive and accessible communication practices. Design: This interactive workshop is based on hands-on learning. Participants will develop elements of their own communication strategies using realistic public health scenarios, such as alcohol and cancer risk communication, youth nicotine use, or NCD policy uptake. The workshop builds on strategic communication work from JA PreventNCD and JACARDI, and integrates WHO/Europe’s strategic communications approach and real-world experience from NCD-related campaigns. It is adapted to a European context and relevant for both public health and policy communication. Implementation: Participants will be guided through the key steps of developing a communication strategy: defining goals, identifying and segmenting audiences, tailoring messages, selecting channels, timing activities, identifying barriers and opportunities, strengthening collaboration, and developing an action plan. The workshop will also explore how behavioural insights, audience listening, pre-testing, co-design, and stakeholder collaboration can improve message relevance and impact. Lessons learned: Strategic communication can help public health actors communicate objectives, activities, and policy recommendations in a targeted, inclusive, effective, and sustainable way. Participants will leave with practical tools to strengthen communication strategies, support policy implementation, and increase public health impact. Key messages: • Strategic communication turns public health goals into action, building trust, supporting policy implementation, shaping behaviours. • Communication and policy are stronger together. Clear, accessible information improves health literacy, supports prevention, and helps people make healthier choices across society. Speakers/Panellists: Sinikka Kytö Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland Aleksandra Olsen WHO/Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -