Advocacy and communications
No public health tool has been as successful and cost-effective as vaccines at saving lives, particularly among the world’s children. However, creating awareness about the benefits of immunization is critical to creating demand for vaccines. For that reason, focused advocacy—an effort to influence policy and decision-makers—and communication efforts on the importance of vaccines are key components in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.
View resources on advocacy and communications
Key resources
Global Health Initiative Resource Tool Kit (2009)
A tool kit
that provides advocates and others interested in global health with the background information they need to talk about neglected infectious diseases, how the US government gets involved in research on these diseases, why more research is needed, and research funding.
Setting the Immunization Agenda Through Advocacy and Communication (2008)
A joint UK Department of Health and World Health Organization European Regional Office meeting report that discusses actions to develop, improve, and extend communication and advocacy activities for immunization, as well as a case study on the introduction of the human papillomavirus vaccine in Europe.
Featured PATH resources
Advocacy to Improve Global Health: Strategies and Stories From the Field (2009)
A workbook
that provides examples of how PATH uses ten key steps for strategic advocacy to achieve lasting policy change, including
examples of
PATH's work on vaccines and immunization.
Preparing for Malaria Vaccines: African Scientists Speak Out (2008)
A video that describes scientist-advocates' critical role in closing the gap between the availability of lifesaving interventions and developing countries' access to them.
Childhood Immunization: A Worthwhile Investment (2003)
An immunization advocacy tool, this PowerPoint presentation is designed to be adapted for different situations.
Page last updated: August 2009.
