Health communications: HSA, Johns Hopkins sign agreement

Health Services Academy (HSA) Islamabad and the Johns Hopkins University Centers for Communication Programs sign MoU.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was inked on Thursday between Health Services Academy (HSA) Islamabad and the Johns Hopkins University Centers for Communication Programs to bolster capacity building in health communication in Pakistan.

According to a press release, Health Services Academy head Dr Assad Hafeez and Johns Hopkins University Centre for Communication Program Executive Director Susan Krenn signed the MoU.

National Health Services Minister Saira Afzal Tarar said that positive health behaviour is among the huge challenges faced by Pakistan and behaviour can only be changed through effective communication and education.

She said that with growing realisation in Pakistan of the importance of communication in public health, almost all health programmes have been including social and behavioural communication in their programming.

“However, the lack of trained resources in health communication has been repeatedly highlighted as a prevailing gap in the system,” she said.

Earlier, Health Director General and HSA head Dr Hafeez said the programme would fill a void and allow for faculty exchanges between the two institutions, along with  joint research in the area.

“Health communication is not a part of public health, it is public health,” said Dr Zaeemul Haq, MCH Program senior technical adviser and the lead course facilitator.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2015.