Getting the message across

World Health • SOth Year, No. 6, November-December 1997 3

Editorial

Getting the message across

I

"to act as the world's directing and coordinating authority" on questions of human health. For this, good communication is indispensable.

As our Constitution points out,

"informed opinion and active coop- eration on the part of the public are of the utmost importance in the improvement of health".

WHO's natural partners in dia- logue have always been the scientific community and ministries of health.

Set up in the wake of a devastating war, the immediate need was to assess the health situation in coun- tries and suggest ways of dealing with the most pressing health prob- lems. Using the conventional tools of epidemiology, the Organization began building what has become, over the years, one of the world's most comprehensive and authorita- tive data banks on health and disease.

It did this by establishing links with individuals and institutions in the scientific community to gather and synthesize information from the field and define the many kinds of action required to meet global health needs.

The fact that it is people them- selves who must be at the centre of health policy was fully recognized by our Constitution, and it has gained worldwide acceptance over the years.

It implies the need to communicate more fully and clearly with the pub- lic. This public today is extremely diverse, making it especially impor- tant to remember that scientific data - no matter how sound - are not a universal currency. To be accessible and meaningful, information must be couched in terms that take into ac-

Dr Hiroshi Nakajima, Director-General of WHO Photo WHO/H. Anenden

count the culture and priorities of the target audience. Effective communi- cation starts with listening to others, and this must be the guiding princi- ple behind all our work.

In the field of research, for exam- ple, agendas must be set not by scientific curiosity alone, but by public health needs established through widely inclusive dialogue.

Furthermore, we should remember that data become information only when they have been validated and organized, and information becomes knowledge only when it has been analysed and interpreted. A great deal of unnecessary confusion results when any of these steps are left out.

Regarding epidemiology, I have frequently stressed the need for a new approach: in addition to the routine gathering of data on disease, epidemiologists today should be prepared to analyse trends and pro- vide advice for policy-making.

Our most direct communication with the general public is through advocacy, and here we are constantly responding to changing needs. WHO produces a wealth of information

materials aimed at different audi- ences, and in 1995 these were aug- mented by the first edition of our annual World Health Report offering an up-to-date picture of the global situation and trends, and highlighting the most urgently needed action.

Profound changes are occurring as a result of the revolution in infor- mation technology, which brings new opportunities as well as new pressures and responsibilities. The increasing speed and volume of communication open up entirely new possibilities for health care. They have also helped to make the public more demanding, discerning and assertive while enabling us to engage in more active dialogue with all our partners.

With the continuous increase in the dissemination of information, WHO today has a special responsi- bility to ~ake sure its messages are not only scientifically and ethically sound, but as clear as possible. As an intergovernmental authority on health, the Organj.zation's duty is to provide health messages that are both reliable and universally relevant. We depend on our partners at every level of society to make them locally meaningful, and in these pages you will get some insight into the many imaginative ways in which they are fulfilling that task. •

Hiroshi Nakajima, M.D., Ph.D.