This 10-day summer institute and professional development course focuses on lessons learned, future directions, and advanced conversations on health and risk communication related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other ongoing and past epidemics and emerging disease outbreaks in different regions worldwide. The course is grounded in the theory and practice of Social and Behavior Change (SBC), Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC), Health Equity, and Human Rights. It will provide participants with practical skills, strategies, and resources on a participatory, multisectoral, integrated, and community-driven approach to communication that aims to achieve social, behavioral, and policy results in pandemic and interpandemic settings (including the preparedness, response, and recovery phases).

Implications of the course content to strengthen health and social systems, improve outcomes across other health areas and community and population health issues, and address social, political, and structural factors will also be discussed.

The course recognizes the disproportionate burden of pandemics and other public health emergencies among populations and groups that are already affected by health, racial, and social inequities. It discusses methods and resources to design community-driven solutions and policies, improve the sustainability of communication and global health interventions and social and behavioral gains, and help advance health, racial, and social equity.

Special topics will include building and restoring trust in science and health information, addressing misinformation/disinformation, media ethics, the influence of social media, storytelling for behavioral and social results, human-centered design and other participatory planning methods, and the role of arts-based communication and other participatory strategies for community and public outreach.

Nested in Rome, Italy, one of the first countries to be severely affected by the pandemic, the course will include site visits and lectures from representatives and staff members of local and international organizations, hospitals, the media, arts institutions, and AUR faculty members.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Health, communication, international development, human rights, and community development professionals from a variety of sectors, organizations, and countries, including international organizations, government agencies, foundations, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and others. The course is open to all interested parties and is likely to benefit professionals who work on any kind of health, social, or disease issue/area and/or anyone who intends to work in health and risk communication in the future.

REGISTRATION AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: https://aur.edu/health-risk-communication-interpandemic-world