A Global Health Communication Institute
The American University of Rome, Rome, Italy, July 8-19, 2024

Course site/registration: https://aur.edu/sbcc

Faculty (site visits and/or guest lectures): UNICEF-Rome, Doctors Without Borders, WHO Regional Office for Europe, National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (NIHMP)/WHO Collaborating Center on Health and Migration Evidence and Capacity Building, Fondazione MAXXI/MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Art, Fondazione Cinema per Roma/UNESCO Rome City of Film, The American University of Rome, Others are to be announced.

Registration Deadline: May 1, 2024
For content-related information, please contact the Course Director and Lead Faculty, Dr. Renata Schiavo, at https://www.renataschiavo.com/contact.html

The American University of Rome invites professionals to a transformative 10-day Institute on Health and Risk Communication. Deeply rooted in the analysis of recent global health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, this course focuses on Social and Behavior Change (SBC), Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC), Health Equity, and Human Rights, offering a comprehensive exploration of strategic communication in the context of pandemics and other health areas.

Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and their implications for health and risk communication in the 21st century will be discussed not only as related to pandemics and disease outbreak settings but also to other health areas, community and population health issues, and social, political, and structural determinants of health and well-being.

Participants will delve into strategies for enhancing health systems, addressing inequities, and navigating political and social determinants of health. The curriculum emphasizes participatory, community-driven, and multisectoral communication strategies to achieve impactful behavioral, social and policy outcomes in various stages of pandemic management as well as in improving health, racial and social equity in the prevention and management of other key health and social issues of our time.

Special topics include trust-building in scientific communication, combating misinformation, ethical media engagement, human-centered design, community engagement, and leveraging storytelling and arts for community outreach. The course uniquely benefits from its setting in Rome, incorporating site visits and insights from local and international experts, reflecting on Italy’s experience with the pandemic as well as ongoing work on addressing health and social inequities across health areas.

The program will incorporate learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring their broader implications on global health. It will equip attendees with practical skills and engage them in creating sustainable, equity-focused solutions to advance public health and clinical outcomes, and to achieve behavioral, social and policy results. A certificate of completion will be awarded to participants by The American University of Rome.

For additional details and registration, visit the AUR course information page: https://aur.edu/sbcc