Health Equity Symposium 2024

Equity as a central pillar for health communication and policy

Effective health communication and policy are increasingly recognised as essential to improving health outcomes and reducing health inequities. This was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating that significantly more needs to be done to maintain and enhance health and well-being.

Yet, most communication and policy initiatives fail to account for social and structural inequities that impede efforts to inform and guide people to make informed choices about their health. Health equity requires more than simply providing information and services – individuals and communities need to be able to access safe, local, and culturally appropriate care​​ and, more broadly, to live, work, and play in environments that support healthy living. 

So how can communication and policy effectively address health equity? Hear from:

• Prof Jeff Niederdeppe, Communication, Health and Social Policy, Cornell Center for Health Equity, New York, USA
• Dr Francesca Mininel, Medical Anthropologist, Paoli-Calmettes Institute (Marseille Comprehensive Cancer Center) and Economics and Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information (SESSTIM), Aix Marseille University, France
  
• Lisa Woodland, Equity & Prevention Service, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District and NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service, Sydney, Australia
• Dr Norman Porticella, Research Associate, Department of Communication, Cornell University
• Brian Keenan, Head of Strategy Asia Pacific, WE Communications
• Melody Taba, PhD Candidate at the Sydney Health Literacy Lab, School of Public Health, University of Sydney

Moderated by Dr Olaf Werder, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, our experts will explore the central role of communication in contemporary health equity debates, including investigations into how political leaders, health officers, journalists, and health promoters shape public narratives about healthcare, health inequity, and structural determinants of health. 

All are welcome - especially researchers and practitioners in communication and health promotion who wish to gain more insights into approaching health communication, media work, and information policies from an equity and human rights perspective.

Feel free to also share this event within your research community and networks.

For more information, please contact olaf.werder@sydney.edu.au or visit the registration website. Any specific questions you wish to have answered during the symposium may be submitted in advance here.