Role of media in promoting health awareness

We have less than six years to deliver on the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as espoused in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Published in 2023, the latest SDG Progress Report indicated that we are leaving more than half the world behind. Progress on more than 50 per cent of the SDG targets is weak and insufficient, and on 30 per cent, it has stalled or gone into reverse. 

Meeting SDG targets calls for collective responsibility. 

 The SDG principle of ‘leave no one behind’ is reflected in the collective responsibility and commitment to collaborate directly or indirectly to keep the promise of a healthy, safe, thriving world. 

We have seen public, private, and independent institutions, organisations, the media, and the public contribute to this collective responsibility to deliver on the ambitions of the SDGs. Of utmost importance is the role that the media plays in keeping citizens informed, engaged, and educated.

Considering the call for urgent action to stay on track in meeting all the SDG targets, including SDG 3 and SDG 16—  promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels —  the role of the media cannot be underestimated.

The media has a prolific position and influence that should be continually leveraged to promote public discourse on health matters, including facilitating forums with line ministries, national and sub-national governments, the public and relevant policymakers. 

As the people’s voice on many issues, including health, the media promotes community engagement and discourse, weaving in human interest angles to make diverse and complex matters relatable and build into local contexts. While the competing priorities in the news cycle and the public information overload are growing realities, there is a continued need for media outlets to promote health awareness and education by simplifying complex health information and presenting it in bite-sized bits for easy and memorable recollection.

More importantly, there is a need to increase public awareness of issues that do not make the news but are prevalent among vulnerable populations such as the effects of poor-quality healthcare in households, the ravaging and debilitating effects of little-known neglected tropical diseases and the nexus between health and the social determinants of health such as climate change.

By continually demonstrating the success  of health stories in the news cycle, actively participating in health awareness campaigns and promoting the constitutional right to information and access to healthcare, the media can continue to impact the achievement of health-related SDG targets.

Making use of health data in building trust with the public, transparency in the process of collecting and analysing data, using credible and reliable sources and fact-checking are ways the media can fight misinformation and disinformation. To increase public awareness and understanding of health data, the media should continue to collaborate with technocrats and researchers to promote availability and use of data.

Acknowledging the fundamental role media platforms have in promoting health and general well-being, the Quality Healthcare Awards, a forum for recognising outstanding performance and advancing a culture of excellence and innovation in health, includes an award of media excellence in promoting health and well-being as outlined in SDG 3 targets, honouring media practitioners for their remarkable contributions.   

Grace is a health ecosystems strategist