Transcript WTBD2004 14 Social mobilisation and broadening the partnership

TB Communication and social mobilisation
Thomas Scalway, Panos Institute
[email protected]
www.panos.org.uk
TB – the communication
challenges
• In AIDS, communication long seen as the primary
weapon
•Community mobilisation and a broad partnership of
different organisations, political advocacy and
accountability are key to AIDS response.
• In TB, Communication takes a poor second place to
the more medical aspects of the response
•A key challenge with TB communication is to compete
with HIV for exposure, and to integrate with HIV
Communication .
•First, look at the media and communication context…
A rapid evolution of the
communication environment
A decade ago:
• Relatively stable, centrally controlled and structured
media
• Limited number of one-dimensional sets of media
structures
• Despite their political drawbacks, these offered some
advantages to communicators wishing to convey
messages to large numbers of people
Media and communications today
•Online connectivity, a boom in mobile telephony, multiple
broadcast and print channels, satellite and cable
technologies
•These lead to dynamic, democratic, horizontal, complex,
fragmented, commercial, rapidly moving, urban and
consumer oriented media
•Generally many more communication players (inc. a
growing and vocal civil society)
•Still there are huge disparities between those with
knowledge and the means to communicate, and those do
not
•Development economists talk about an information and
communication economy. Most communities affected by TB
are disenfranchised within this new economy.
TB Communication – the basics
Practical information and communication on TB, that:
A) meet our health goals
B) and address the challenges of today’s complex and
uneven communication environment
Starting point is on information:
A) about TB symptoms, treatment, prevention.
B) creating communities competent and informed on how to
keep TB at bay.
From information to participation
•
Information does not necessarily change
behaviour
•
Overcoming issues of power, gender,
inequality – the “poverty of voice” amongst
key TB stakeholders
•
Participatory communication: facilitating a
conversation that enables community
members to articulate and negotiate for their
needs around a focused agenda within a more
equitable social setting
Enabling Communication Environments
• Traditional approaches carry implication of social change, of
availability of services. What happens when this change is not
forthcoming?
• Supporting civil society in mobilising behind the problem of
TB, and in articulating the agendas of those most affected.
• Supporting a media that is informed, critically constructive, and
provides space for debate
• Creating greater inclusiveness, participation and consultation
in TB policy and programming
• Not only top down communication, but enabling bottom-up
communication