Hand hygiene.pdf

As many international and national health campaigns have demonstrated, the media play
a key role in mobilizing public support, influencing behavioural change and setting the local
political agenda. A 2001 Cochrane review 720 showed that the use of the mass media was a
way of presenting information about important health issues, targeted by those who aim to
influence the behaviour of health professionals and patients. The review concluded that the
mass media should be considered one of the tools that may influence the use of health-care
interventions.
3. EXAMPLES OF WHO PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS
Communication and public information strategies have been evolved by WHO and its
partners to promote the activities of two technical programmes: the global control of tuberculosis
(TB) through the Stop-TB programme, and the Tobacco-Free Initiative. Elements of
these two public information campaigns are shown in Table V.3.1.
4. EXAMPLES OF NATIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION
CAMPAIGNS
To contribute to the reduction of diseases associated with a lack of hygienic practices,
public health promotion and education strategies have been implemented in several developing
countries to inform the public about the dangers of poor hygiene and to attempt to
change behaviour. Overall, large-scale handwashing promotional programmes have been
effective in initiating behavioural change among their target groups and have used a variety
of innovative methods 721 . Programmes to improve handwashing behaviour appear to be
feasible and sustainable, especially when they incorporate traditional hygiene practices and
beliefs 722 and take into consideration locally appropriate channels of communication 723 .
New and better approaches to behavioural change have been developed, including recent
programmes in several developing countries that include a strong public information component.
For example, the Central American Handwashing Initiative 724,725 is a large-scale
programme that has shown excellent results through persuading the private sector (soap
manufacturers and the media) to disseminate health information by advertising and marketing
soap and its appropriate use for hand hygiene. In this initiative, the soap producers in
Central America promoted beneficial health behaviour while promoting their products 726 .
Consumer and market studies were carried out to understand the nature of the market,
consumer attitudes, behaviours and most appropriate promotional strategies and communication
channels. Public information, advertising and marketing campaigns (including
promotional materials) were country-specific and developed by each soap manufacturer.
Many local radio and TV stations donated air time and newspapers offered free space to
run the sponsored advertisements. Public schools distributed posters and handwashing kits.
The partners of this initiative and their products also made many appearances at community
activities and fairs 716 (Table V.4.1).
A similar large-scale public information campaign is being implemented in Ghana and
another is planned in Kerala State, India 724 . The objectives of both campaigns are to get