engleski

A mass media campaign as a tool for increasing public/political responsibility for health

Most of the healths promoting media campaigns, in Croatia, are aiming to change the life styles of the individuals and increase their personal responsibility for health. They rarely address public or political responsibility for health. On the occasion of our 20th anniversary, with the help of professional PR agency, CHCN designed a media campaign ‘ Connected with health” (Joined by Health) that want to raise public awareness of the major public health challenges Croatia is facing. This campaign aims to bring about faster recognition of community health needs, facilitate faster and higher quality solutions to the problems identified as heaviest burden to local communities, improve selection and implementation of interventions designed to address identified community needs, set up and boost cooperation between city/county administration and politics and the people and their associations. Bringing closer local, regional, and national decision-makers it will boost the role of local communities in the design of the national health policy, and increase health care equality. Since September 2007, we have been working on media campaign preparation. During 2008 it will go over 12 months with 12 different monthly topics. Cities and counties take turn in coordinating monthly topics. Public is thus informed of the quality of life in various communities, and possibilities for improvement thereof through the Healthy City and the Healthy County Projects. With polycentric media campaigning (campaign centre shifts every month to another part of the country) work is shared among Network member cities and counties, i.e. adds to campaign viability and continuity. January topic was gender equality, February family health, in March health issues of children and youth were addressed and in April healthy urban planning. May topic will be personal health, June environmental awareness and July promotion of democracy. August topic is life-long learning, September recreation and physical activity and October the quality of lofe of elderly. November topic is quality of life of the people with disabilities and December community development, neighbourhood health and volunteering. Part of December activities will be, as well, a campaign entitled ‘ give (volunteer) your time, aimed at fostering the development of volunteering and civil sector, restoration of broken social networks, and strengthening of communities. Croatian Healthy Cities Network has designed joint visual identity for the campaign (bills, mega posters, banners, stickers, badges, T-shirts, video clip and documentaries) and the Network members are obliged to adjust them and use in the campaign.

media campaign; public health

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