Yangon, Myanmar is known for its architectural mix of colonial architecture alongside traditional pagodas covered in gold leaf and studded with jewels. Now, it is using an innovative media mix to raise awareness on COVID-19 and protect its citizens.
The People’s Health Foundation, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sports, in April 2020 launched a mass media campaign to promote safe behaviour during the COVID-19 crisis and to increase solidarity with patients and medical staff. The “Let’s beat COVID-19 together” campaign ran for six weeks on TV, radio and on Facebook. The mass media campaign came together in a very short period of time, when the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis in Myanmar had become clear and Yangon was put under strict stay-at-home orders and a curfew.
“What we have seen in other countries is that the number of cases can grow very fast,” said the Union Minister for Health and Sports, Dr U Myint Htwe. “If we change our behaviour, we can slow the growth of COVID-19 cases down and limit the number of deaths in Myanmar. Therefore, it is important that people know what to do to keep themselves and others safe. The mass media campaign is meant to spread this information widely.”
The campaign, supported by the Partnership for Healthy Cities, aims to provide timely guidance, create positive behaviour change and promote solidarity during the pandemic.
The initiative started with a radio drive when Yangon’s stay-at-home order and curfew were in effect. With the help of state media outlets, the government was able to broadcast public service announcements frequently.
Taking note of the high social media usage and accessibility in the country, a #LetsBeatCovidTogether Facebook page was created. It was an integral part of the media campaign, posting interactive, informative pictures and short videos about symptoms and protective measures. It also featured videos of the steps the government was taking to control the disease.
In addition, a public service announcement (PSA) was designed for television that included information on social distancing and other protective measures such as wearing a mask when going out and frequently washing your hands. This message was broadcast regularly.
Advertisements with informative infographics in local newspapers were published to cater to people who did not have access to television or the internet. Care was also taken to make the campaign inclusive and accessible to those with low or no literacy skills and those who do not speak Burmese as their first language.
Following the launch of the national mass media campaign in April, the dedicated Facebook page has garnered over 90,000 followers, 160,000 post interactions and an online reach of 3.5 million. Two radio stations have aired four public service announcements on protective behaviour on high-rotation. The television message was regularly aired on the MRTV state channel. Three national newspapers have each printed six campaign infographics for months alongside approved text on how to stay safe.
Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic is complex due to the breadth of stakeholders with diverse needs and the rapidly changing landscape of the outbreak. Adding to this challenge is the concurrent “infodemic” - an overabundance of information, some of which can be misleading or harmful. To tackle the spread of misinformation, public health and government agencies must consistently track falsehoods and counter them with evidence-based guidance.
Myanmar’s People’s Health Foundation continues to examine how it can tackle the COVID-19 infodemic by engaging with print and online media outlets, acknowledging their role in educating and informing the general public and influence in behaviour. External agencies have been provided with the text of official health messages, as well as a bank of government-approved infographics. There has also been a deliberate call to media agencies to use approved language.
“Evidence has shown a large majority of COVID-19 cases occur in urban and peri-urban areas which are densely populated. The campaign is great example of using media effectively to advance health literacy, crucial in this pandemic and beyond,” says Dr Stephan Paul Jost, WHO Representative to Myanmar. “It is so important to tackle false information and empower society to take protective measures, now and in the time ahead.”
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October 28, 2020 at 03:14PM
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Yangon uses media mix to boost solidarity against COVID-19 - World Health Organization
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