Category: In the News

Posted on in In the News

CHC Interview: Dr. Ellen Campbell Grizzle, Dean, College of Health Sciences, UTech

CHC Interview: Dr. Ellen Campbell Grizzle, Dean, College of Health Sciences, University of Technology, Jamaica

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I met with Dr. Campbell Grizzle in December 2012 regarding some research I was doing in tobacco control. We got around to talking about public health communications in Jamaica.

Is health communications considered low priority for decision makers?

I went into a system where it was so, but then people started to say, “Wow”, when you actually designed and came up with the solutions that were measurable and could work. Sometimes it is for us to get in there, do the work and show that it works and be articulate about explaining what we do.

We [Jamaica] have a strength in that we have a whole cadre of graduate level trained behaviour change communications specialists. But we are not using them. Instead they are working in public relations. It’s sad because to me they could be making a big difference out there.

All you need is a couple of these people in a room to try to help to address issues like tobacco. Often what happens is I sit in a room and there is a doctor trying to speak about behaviour change. They know a few theories, but that is as far as it goes. When its time to design and execute a campaign they cannot tell you what to do. But I am a very optimistic person and I believe in being creative to overcome even these challenges.

Dr. Campbell Grizzle studied Media and Communications (Ba.) and Communications for Social and Behaviour Change (PhD) at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communications (CARIMAC), University of the West Indies (UWI).
Posted on in In the News

CHC 2012 in review – Happy New Year!!!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 4,400 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 7 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Posted on in In the News

Using Social Media in Emergency and Disaster Response Webinar/Conference Call

*** The Disaster Information Specialist Program monthly conference call/webinar is open to everyone – please spread the word and invite others in your organizations and send to your email lists ***

The December Disaster Information Specialist Program conference call/webinar will be held 
Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 1:30 PM ET using Adobe Connect. See connection information below.

We have a very timely and interesting session planned for our December meeting. Kelly Bennett, Diana Kushner, and Sara Harris from the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response will be presenting on “Using Social Media in Emergency and Disaster Response”.  In addition to highlighting tools to monitor social media trends that assist with response coordination efforts, Kelly, Diana and Sara will share some of their experiences from their recent deployment to New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy.

 

To join the meeting at 1:30 pm ET, Thursday, December 13 click on:

https://webmeeting.nih.gov/disinfo

 

Enter your name in the guest box and click  “Enter Room”. A box should pop up asking for your phone number.  Enter your phone number and the system will call you. 

 

For those who cannot use the call-back feature, the dial-in information is below.

Dial-In:  1-888-757-2790

Pass-Code: 745907

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If you have never attended a Connect Pro meeting before:

Test your connection: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm    

Get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview  

 Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat and Acrobat Connect are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

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Or, if you are in the area you can attend the meeting in person at our offices at 6707 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda,MD, Suite 440. Park in the visitor’s parking lot (we will validate your parking), walk to the middle building (Democracy Two) and take the elevator to the 4th floor. Suite 440 is around the corner behind the elevators.

 

Disaster Information Management Research Center

Specialized Information Services Division

National Library of Medicine

National Institutes of Health

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Posted on in In the News

*Extended* UNICEF JA launches #HashCon2012: An Advocacy Challenge for Jamaican Bloggers

DUE TO OVERWHELMING REQUESTS, WEVE DECIDED TO EXTEND #HASHCON2012!!!

  • NOMINATIONS WILL NOW CLOSE AT 11:59 PM ON DECEMBER 7TH.
  • VOTING BEGINS ON DECEMBER 8TH AND ENDS AT 11:59 PM ON DECEMBER 14TH

 

A #HashCon is where influencers in the Jamaican social media world come together and talk about an important issue for a week via their blogs. At the end of that week, the blogger with the most votes on his seleted post wins. However, the main goal is to shine a spotlight on a pertinent issue facing Jamaicans; key information is shared, important discussions take place and hopefully, progress is made in the way we advocate for our most vulnerable.

UNICEF is partnering the with Jamaica Blog Awards to use the first #HashCon to help commemmorate this year’s World AIDS Day (December 1) with our fellow advocates around the globe. The focus of WAD 2012 is women and their role in creating an AIDS-free generation. An AIDS-free generation is finally within reach and women – from mothers and caregivers to healthcare workers and policy-makers – are essential to realizing this goal.

#HashCon2012 runs from November 24-December 7 and the topic we’ll be hashing out is “Positive SHEroes: Strong women working towards an AIDS-free generation”. We hope to get posts about women demonstrating strength and resilience in the face of the epidemic and on eliminating new HIV infections among children. Participants can write personal features, opinion pieces, essays or vlogs and all written pieces must be at least 500 words long. Bloggers and readers have until November 30th to nominate their posts on jablogawards.com. Voting opens on December 1 and bloggers can and use their social media channels to promote their posts and get as many votes as they can; using the hashtag #HashCon2012. Voting ends at 11:59 pm on December 7. The winner is judged based on online votes and a judging panel consisting of staff from UNICEF and Eve For Life. THe winner receives a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, which will be awarded at the Jamaica Blog Awards, January 19 2013.

For more info follow @UNICEF_Jamaica on Twitter.

Happy hashing!

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Posted on in In the News, Media Advocacy, Policy

Focus on Changing Caribbean Eating Habits: Claire Haynes – TEDxYouth@Bridgetown Talk

A group of inspired and talented young professionals from TEDxYouth@Bridgetown recently held a 2-day event in Barbados entitled ‘The Big Questions’. The event was attended by secondary school students from across Barbados.

One of the featured speakers was Claire Haynes who delivered a powerful presentation entitled: ‘How the Catelli Girl Got Out the Box’. The presentation focussed on the urgency of re-evaluating traditional Caribbean eating habits and shifting away from diets comprised of highly processed foods to healthier diets consisting of more natural, organically based foods.