A STUDY ON STRATEGIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION UNDER DIGITALIZATION: 'A CASE OF TOBACCO CONTROL IN ZANZIBAR'

Abstract: Despite the significance of Strategic health communication has become increasingly important in the age of digitalization to promote healthy behaviours, prevent and control disease, new challenges has been arisen in implementing communication strategies under digitalization particularly in developing countries such as Zanzibar. This paper examines the case of tobacco initiative efforts in Zanzibar, an island region of Tanzania, which has utilised strategic health communication under digitalization to control tobacco use. In this research, the researcher used thematic approach to analyse data whereas 26 media professionals and health experts were sampled. The findings of this qualitative study revealed that digitalization has revolutionized health communication by offering new avenues for dissemination of health information, promoting health awareness and education, and facilitate behaviour change of the people to enhance tobacco control efforts without compromised health service care. Further, despite the digital media platforms has proven to be important in health communication, but the result also revealed that there were a number of challenges associated with digitalization in health promotion and information-seeking behaviours and accessibility. Therefore, improving digital media literacy, availability of internet infrastructure, and combining traditional health services care with strategic digital health communication, and educating the public about a new tobacco control strategies and laws that banning public smoking and tobacco advertising and use in public space, will help to control tobacco usage not only in Zanzibar but also in all developing countries in general.

Keywords: Strategic health communication, Digital literacy, Tobacco control, Digital media.

Title: A STUDY ON STRATEGIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION UNDER DIGITALIZATION: ‘A CASE OF TOBACCO CONTROL IN ZANZIBAR’

Author: Kassim Khamis Jape

International Journal of Novel Research in Engineering and Science

ISSN 2394-7349

Vol. 10, Issue 2, September 2023 - February 2024

Page No: 46-59

Novelty Journals

Website: www.noveltyjournals.com

Published Date: 26-September-2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8379043

Paper Download Link (Source)

https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/A%20STUDY%20ON%20STRATEGIC%20HEALTH-26092023-3.pdf