|
||
|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UNICEF, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs To Collaborate On Strategic Communication Programs to Aid Children in Developing WorldPrograms will Target Immunization, HIV/AIDS, Girls EducationBALTIMORE—The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has reached an agreement with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Communication Programs (CCP) under which CCP will provide assistance on developing strategic communication programs to improve the lives of children in the developing world. UNICEF works to address the urgent needs of children throughout the developing world. CCP is a leader in the development of research-based health communication for behavior change. Under a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the two organizations will combine their expertise to concentrate on UNICEF's five priority areas: childhood immunization, girls' education, child protection, integrated early childhood development, and HIV/AIDS. “We welcome the assistance of CCP as we tackle our priority areas in the developing world,” said Edwin Judd, Director of Programme Division, UNICEF. “Strategic communication is an essential tool in programs designed to reach children and their caretakers.” Under the MOU, CCP will assist UNICEF in developing, implementing, and monitoring communication interventions for behavior change at the request of UNICEF's field offices. CCP will also upon request provide formative research, materials development, and an evaluation of the intervention to gauge its impact. CCP's training course on strategic communication will also be offered to UNICEF staff and the staff of UNICEF-supported institutions in developing countries. In addition, CCP will make available to UNICEF the services of its Media/Materials Clearinghouse (M/MC) in Baltimore. The M/MC has the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of primary health care communication materials from the developing world. “We look forward to working together with UNICEF,” said Jane Bertrand, PhD, MBA, Professor of population and family health sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Director of CCP. “Combining our skills will lead to programs that can make a real difference in the lives of developing world children.” UNICEF is an international non-profit organization created by the United Nations in 1946 to assist children and women recover in the wake of World War II. Its mission was broadened to address the urgent needs of children throughout the developing world. Today UNICEF is present in more than 160 countries, helping children improve their chances of survival and grow to adulthood in health, peace, and dignity. UNICEF generates its entire income from the voluntary donations of individuals, businesses, foundations, and governments. With representatives in more than 30 countries, CCP is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based communication for behavior change and health promotion that helped transform the theory and practice of public health communication. JHU/CCP has been a leader in the development of projects based on systematic needs assessments and clear strategies for positioning and presenting the benefits of health interventions to appropriate audiences. The Bloomberg School of Public Health established CCP in 1988 to focus attention on the central role of communication in health behavior and to provide leadership in the field of behavior change communication. To find out more about CCP, go to www.jhuccp.org For more information contact: Kim Martin at Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA. Tel: 410 659-6140; Fax: 410 659-6266 e-mail: press@jhuccp.org. PRESS ROOM: http://www.jhuccp.org/pressroom |
|
|
© 2005 The Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.