Health Promotion

Fieldset

Health Promotion

Health promotion means providing people with information and advice on good health practices, treatment and care. For example, it can include advice on how to stop the spread of diseases, ensure a child gets the right nutrition, or help someone get swift medical care when they need it.

Activities might include health promoters giving a talk in person; sharing messages through the media (e.g. radio) or online; or using stories, songs and plays.

Because health promotion has the potential to make a lasting impact on a community’s health, it’s a vital part of Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF)’s work.

The health promotion team in Bentiu, South Sudan

Elizabeth Wait

Health Promoter

A small army of anthropologists

Could you talk to a stranger about something as sensitive as family planning? How about doing it in a marketplace or while waiting in line? British health promoter Elizabeth shares how a team in South Sudan are reshaping health education...

11 Jul 2019 / 6 minute read

The MSF team involved in the hepatitis C screening

Tasawwar Ali

Health Promoter

"We don't leave anyone behind": Fighting hepatitis in Pakistan

If you were infected with hepatitis C, would you realise? Most people don't, and that's a real problem in Machar Colony, Pakistan, where many people have no idea that they're living with the virus. Meet the team determined to change that, and to save lives in the process...

20 Mar 2019 / 5 minute read

Nance Cunningham

Health Promoter

What is a health promoter?

What exactly is health promotion? Canadian Nance Cunningham – a flying health promoter – explains the impact of this vital role while on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF), training teams in Pakistan.

13 Dec 2018 / 4 minute read

Nance Cunningham

Health Promoter

Health promotion in Pakistan: Patchwork

How can you plan to serve a community if you don't know how many people live there? Nance is in Pakistan, where she's working for Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) as a health promoter. Today, she explains why Google Maps, sticky tape, and a lot of patience has been crucial to the team's work...

01 May 2018 / 5 minute read

Izzy Scott Moncrief

Health Promoter

(Not all) Doctors Without Borders

Izzy is a health promoter from the UK. She's out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she and the team are working to prevent outbreaks of disease...

19 Jan 2018 / 8 minute read