Health Communication in Developing Countries

The term health communication refers to the transmission or exchange of information related to health and is often presented with the intention of influencing health-related behavior. This exchange can occur between pairs of individuals, among and between groups and organizations, and via mass media channels. Health communication is an important vehicle for change as many diseases and conditions can be prevented or managed via behavioral modifications, which can be addressed via effective health communication, in conjunction with the development of the medical and public health sectors. Effective health communicationcampaignscanbehousedwithin a larger development effort, which provides structural change, while increasing the ability of individuals to take advantage of such changes.

[Page 475]Major health risks in developing countries typically involve some combination or all of the following: maternal and childhood malnutrition, risky sexual behavior, sanitation and hygiene issues, lack of clean water, occupational hazards, alcohol and tobacco use, and heart disease risk factors. Targeting these risk factors can lead to reductions in the spread of/improved management of a range of diseases, from tuberculosis to HIV/AIDS or cancer. As with other efforts targeting underserved populations in developed countries, health communication programs in developing countries often face great barriers due to the target audience's lower levels of education, restricted individual agency, immediate concerns that take precedence over health, and resource constraints at the individual and community levels. Accordingly, these communication efforts often include goals linked to economic development and social mobilization. Clearly, the category of ‘developing countries’ is extremely broad and encompasses great diversity across a number of dimensions, including health communication patterns. Thus, this entry provides a broad overview of health communication in this context and provides a discussion of the range of work in this area, as well as areas for future research. Although health communication involves a wide range of information exchanges, this entry will focus on health communication campaigns, as they are a major focus for developing countries.