The Ghana Association of Public Health Technical Officers (GAPHTO) has organised public health communication and publicity training programme to strengthen the communication capacities of its members.
The training seeks to equip public health technical officers with skills in media engagement, social media communication, public speaking, communication ethics and the use of digital tools to effectively communicate evidence-based health information to the public.
It was also to increase the association's visibility in national public health discourse.
The three-day programme was on the theme; “Strengthening public health communication and publicity for effective service delivery and GAPHTO Visibility.”
Attendance
In attendance were disease control officers, nutrition officers, health information officers and health promotion officers from the 16 regions of the country.
The National President of GAPHTO, Joseph Owusu-Asante, in an address said, the training was meant to position the association as a trusted source of information on public health issues and a key contributor to national policy discussions.
"We have existed without telling our story and we want to break that jinx and come out to speak, serve the public and be recognised as a reference point and a source of authority when it comes to public health programmes in Ghana," he said.
Mr Owusu-Asante said the volume of information circulating on traditional and social media platforms had created challenges for the public in identifying credible sources of health information.
In that regard, he said, public health practitioners must strengthen their communication skills to effectively engage the public and counter misinformation.
"We need to step up our skills in communication.
What we used to call community, where we meet the people, is also shifting.
We are now meeting more of the people on social media," he added and said while Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technology had made communication easier, public health professionals must continue to rely on scientific evidence and verified facts in disseminating information.
Effective communication
The National Chairperson of the Health Services Workers' Union (HSWU), Dr Emmanuel Lloyd Baffoe, observed that effective communication was essential to the success of public health interventions.
He said public health technical officers were at the forefront of disease prevention, health promotion, environmental sanitation, surveillance, health education and emergency response.
"Communities are more likely to adopt healthy behaviours when messages are clear, credible and delivered through appropriate channels," he said and urged participants to actively engage in the training sessions and develop innovative communication strategies that would improve public confidence in health services which contribute to better healthcare outcomes.
He also called on policymakers and stakeholders to provide the resources needed to enable public health technical officers to perform their duties effectively.
Visibility
The Kwahu East District Director of Health Services, Angela Acheampomaa, who chaired the function, said effective communication could determine the success of public health interventions.
Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, cholera outbreaks and immunisation campaigns, Ms Acheampomaa said, clear and timely communication was necessary to influence public behaviour and improve health outcomes.
She encouraged members to strengthen their visibility through newsletters, social media engagement and collaboration with other health professionals and stakeholders and also urged public health technical officers to pursue continuous professional development, uphold ethical standards and prepare themselves for leadership positions within the Ghana Health Service and beyond.
