Open AccessMass Media and Health Communication During the Pandemic
Author(s) -
Ms. Asfiya Aziz
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of shalamar medical and dental college
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2789-3677
pISSN - 2789-3669
DOI - 10.53685/jshmdc.v2i2.84
Subject(s) - pandemic , mass media , public relations , health care , population , public health , business , health communication , order (exchange) , covid-19 , political science , medicine , environmental health , economic growth , advertising , nursing , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , finance , pathology
Importance of specialized health communication has been demonstrated fully during the recent COVID 19 pandemic. New variants of the virus continue to emerge, the larger portion of the country’s population remains unvaccinated, and booster doses are becoming essential. Therefore, the need for sustained interest in health communication through mass media is far from over. Health communication helps public understand the threat and make informed choices about the preventive measures and treatment. Done effectively, it can produce behaviour change, prevent panic and ensure the participation of populations in governments’ public health measures. Healthcare sector possesses the necessary knowledge to impart this information to the media industry which is largely unstructured and learning from experiences. Therefore, the healthcare sector needs to communicate effectively with the mass media representatives in order to influence the population in adopting and continuing healthy behaviour to fight the pandemic.