Raising awareness of health issues is a critical aspect of public health promotion, influencing individual behaviors, healthcare systems, and policy decisions. In the UK, public health initiatives and legislative frameworks emphasize the importance of awareness campaigns to address emerging and existing health concerns. These campaigns play a crucial role in educating individuals about prevalent health risks, such as lifestyle diseases, mental health disorders, and infectious diseases. By providing accessible and accurate information, awareness efforts empower people to make informed decisions, adopt preventive measures, and improve overall well-being.
Beyond education, health awareness campaigns foster a sense of responsibility among individuals, encouraging them to take proactive steps in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They also contribute to reducing stigma around sensitive health conditions, such as mental health challenges, by promoting open discussions and social acceptance. Various agencies, including government organizations, NGOs, healthcare professionals, media, and community leaders, collaborate to amplify these efforts. Additionally, strategic planning, including targeting the right audience, selecting effective communication channels, and ensuring cultural sensitivity, is essential for the success of these initiatives.
This study explores the necessity of raising health awareness, the roles of different stakeholders, and key factors to consider when planning awareness campaigns, particularly in the context of the UK’s healthcare policies and public health landscape.
Grab The Best Academic Assistance In Just One Click
1.1 Analyze Reasons Why It May Be Necessary To Raise Awareness Of Health Issues
Raising health issue awareness is an essential element of public health promotion that has a significant role in increasing the community's overall well-being. In the UK context, multiple legislative criteria highlight the significance of raising awareness to identify health-relevant issues comprehensively (Mheidly and Fares, 2020). Evaluating the cause behind the requirement of such a type of awareness campaign demonstrates the multifaceted influence they have on people, the health care system and the community.
One crucial cause to raise awareness is to teach people about prevalent health challenges and their concerns. In the UK National Health Service was developed to raise awareness among people about evolving emerging threats such as lifestyle-relevant challenges and infectious diseases such as smoking and obesity (Walsh and Foster, 2021). By accessible information and disadvantageous accuracy, people can develop informed decisions about their well-being, motivating them to include preventive initiatives and gain healthier lifestyles.
Growing awareness not only provides knowledge, it also helps to establish responsibilities among people. Addressing their choice implication on their health, individuals take part in behavioural activities that contribute to their health (Corrigan, 2019). For instance, awareness campaigns on excessive alcohol consumption or substance intake harmful effects or regular exercise benefits focus on instilling responsibility by prompting people to develop positive choices about their health.
Along with that, the campaign about health awareness has a significant role in addressing particular health conditions. In the UK approaches to identifying mental health have achieved prominence to eliminate the stigma relevant to psychological disorders. Mental Health Discrimination Act 2013 and Mental Health Act 1983 highlight the government's commitment to minimizing discrimination among people who pose mental health challenges (Legislation, 2019). Raising awareness via this campaign enhances open dialogue, motivates people and challenges stereotypes for health without making judgments.
Racing awareness is essential for establishing support for funding and research. The Government of the UK provides resources to identify health challenges that are considered the health priority of the public (Christensen, 2019). This campaign offers public support by impacting policymakers to properly allocate their funds for investigation and innovative solution deployment.
Legal actions such as the Health and Social Care Act 2012 incorporated public Health awareness significance in the UK. The act highlights the requirement for a significant initiative to health care including Health promotion and prevention (Health and Social Care Act, 2019). That highlights raising awareness significant to identifying health challenges and proactively considering improving people's health goals.
1.2 Compare The Roles Of Agencies And Others Who May Be Involved In Raising Awareness Of Health Issues
Health issue eleventh raising awareness in cooperation with collaborative initiation between different entities individually those entities has a contribution to perspective and unique strength. Understanding different agencies' roles and people is crucial for developing an impactful and comprehensive awareness campaign (Mheidly and Fares, 2020). Government agencies help frame and incorporate health awareness approaches. In numerous nations including the UK Government prioritize public health. The National Health Authority develops guidelines and policies identifying challenges from severe diseases such as infectious diseases to concerns about lifestyle. These agencies have the power to incorporate the country across campaigns and proper allocation of resources.
They also can regulate companies that may influence public health (Ali and Gatiti, 2020). For instance, in the UK public health has a core role in making cohesion to raise awareness by supplying information and incorporating public Health initiatives. Non-government organizations help the government to implement this effort by supplying additional expertise resources and community-based initiatives. NGOs have additional flexibility with target initiatives that help identify particular health consent as well as marginalized populations (Bada, Sasse and Nurse, 2019). Cancer Research in the UK functions as a high awareness campaign or research funding function across the world supplying medical assistance in emergencies with increasing awareness about health-relevant concerns. Health professionals are also central in awareness campaigns that convey medical knowledge to generate accessible information. Healthcare professionals including nurses, doctors and practice nurses have a significant role in supplying education to patients about their medication and health concerns; they also offer guidance for treatment options, healthy lifestyle selection and preventive measures (Bull et al., 2020). Their expertise and credibility have a high contribution to awareness campaign effectiveness establishing loyalty with boosting people to focus on their health.
On the other hand, media corporations offer a powerful driver leading awareness to large audiences via multiple platforms. Radio, online media print and television have an effective role in conveying health-associated messages (Milton et al., 2020). Announcement on public services, interviews or documentation through surveying experts provides visibility to health concerns and framed public perceptions. Media corporations and health agencies agree to increase awareness campaign effectiveness and reach.
Influencers and community leaders also have a significant role in this awareness enhancement campaign as this helps to shape public behaviour and opinion. In politics, new corporation entrepreneur leaders can guide the community to efficiently engage with awareness campaigns and initiatives (Al-Dmour et al., 2020). The influencers, bloggers, celebrities and public figures of social media include the social media platform to connect with the target audience and foster related awareness. Their collaboration can effectively increase awareness campaigns' effectiveness, credibility and visibility.
Education institutions also have an effective role in framing a few charged generations' behaviour and attitudes. Incorporating health-relevant awareness within curricula ensures young people can receive proper data about health concerns (Milton et al., 2020). These programs are conducted in universities and schools to develop a groundwork for developing in form decisions and establishing a health-conscious culture.
1.3 Describe Factors To Consider When Planning Awareness-Raising Activities
During planning awareness-raising activities, strategic and thoughtful initiative is essential for maintaining that the campaign significantly collaborates with the target audience. Multiple fundamental factors need to be maintained to increase this type of initiative's influence (Bull et al., 2020). In the UK this consideration is lined up with legislative measures highlighting comprehensive healthcare promotion significance.
Target audience
Addressing a particular demographic that is required to be targeted is essential. Acknowledging the needs preferences and characteristics of the audience helps to establish initiative and convey a message (Albanese, 2022). For instance, a children's nutrition awareness campaign poses a distinct initiative from one identifying mental health challenges among youth.
Communication channel
Selecting an appropriate communication platform is essential for significantly implementing the initiative. This incorporates acknowledging consumption as a habit of people. Using different channels such as community events TV social media radio educational event templates can maintain a large target audience engagement (Organization, 2021). The Government of the UK in corporate multiple channels including social media platforms and the NHS website exemplified the multifaceted initiative.
Cultural sensitivity
Respecting and understanding people's cultural norms is crucial to maintaining awareness campaign relativity and efficiency to different communities who have different backgrounds. This initiative considers the Equality Act 2010 that helps to establish equal treatment for people while safeguarding against discrimination considering characteristics including background religion and race (Richardson, 2019).
Partnerships
Establishing partnerships with multiple stakeholders signifies awareness impact. NGO government bodies healthcare professional community leaders and social worker engagement can increase awareness expansion and credibility (Fox and Macleod, 2021). The Health and Social Care Act 2012 highlights this collaborative effort to promote health outcomes for people (Health and Social Care Act, 2019).
Overall the significant initiative in planning and strategizing awareness-raising actions incorporates careful target audience cultural norm consideration, communication channel incorporation and fostering collaboration between different stakeholders. By taking this factor the campaign can be significantly framed to enhance their effectiveness by effectively identifying Health Care concerns in the aspect of relevant legislative measure spirit in the UK.
References
Albanese, E. (2022). MONITORING PROGRESS IN THE GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE DEMENTIA CRISIS. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 13(7), p.P1451. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2017.07.759.
Al-Dmour, H., Masa’deh, R., Salman, A., Abuhashesh, M. and Al-Dmour, R. (2020). Influence of Social Media Platforms on Public Health Protection Against the COVID-19 Pandemic via the Mediating Effects of Public Health Awareness and Behavioral Changes: Integrated Model. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(8), p.e19996. doi:https://doi.org/10.2196/19996.
Ali, M.Y. and Gatiti, P. (2020). The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic: Reflections on the Roles of Librarians and Information Professionals. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 37(2), pp.158–162. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12307.
Bada, M., Sasse, A.M. and Nurse, J. (2019). Cyber Security Awareness Campaigns: Why do they fail to change behaviour? [online] arXiv.org. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.02672.
Bull, F.C., Al-Ansari, S.S., Biddle, S., Borodulin, K., Buman, M.P., Cardon, G., Carty, C., Chaput, J.-P., Chastin, S., Chou, R., Dempsey, P.C., DiPietro, L., Ekelund, U., Firth, J., Friedenreich, C.M., Garcia, L., Gichu, M., Jago, R., Katzmarzyk, P.T. and Lambert, E. (2020). World health organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(24), pp.1451–1462. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955.
Christensen, A.S.P. (2019). Can a mass media campaign raise awareness of alcohol as a risk factor for cancer and public support for alcohol related policies? Preventive Medicine, [online] 126, p.105722. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.05.010.
Corrigan, P.W. (2019). The stigma effect : unintended consequences of mental health campaigns. New York: Columbia University Press.
Fox, S. and Macleod, A. (2021). Localizing the SDGs in cities: Reflections from an Action Research Project in Bristol, UK. Urban Geography, 44(3), pp.1–21. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2021.1953286.
Health and Social Care Act (2019). Health and Social Care Act 2012. [online] Legislation.gov.uk. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/7/contents/enacted.
Legislation (2019). Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013. [online] Legislation.gov.uk. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/8/enacted#:~:text=(1)Section%20141%20of%20the [Accessed 7 Dec. 2023].
Mheidly, N. and Fares, J. (2020). Leveraging media and health communication strategies to overcome the COVID-19 infodemic. Journal of Public Health Policy, 41(4), pp.410–420. doi:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41271-020-00247-w.
Milton, K., Bauman, A.E., Faulkner, G., Hastings, G., Bellew, W., Williamson, C. and Kelly, P. (2020). Maximising the impact of global and national physical activity guidelines: the critical role of communication strategies. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(24), pp.1463–1467. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102324.
Organization, W.H. (2021). Global patient safety action plan 2021-2030: towards eliminating avoidable harm in health care. [online] Google Books. World Health Organization. Available at: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=csZqEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=factors+to+consider+when+planning+in+helath+awareness+campaigns+in+Uk&ots=xKQY3_glzp&sig=-lJ7IPd3wW7kd4WlRv2kT8b9_7Q [Accessed 7 Dec. 2023].
Richardson, R. (2019). Equality Priorities and Equality Objectives – the Equality Act 2010, a cautious welcome. Race Equality Teaching, 28(2), pp.6–11.
Walsh, D.A.B. and Foster, J.L.H. (2021). A Call to Action. A Critical Review of Mental Health Related Anti-stigma Campaigns. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.569539.
