MoH plans to disseminate health information in rural areas

The Health Promotion Division of the Health Ministry, earlier known as the Information Communication Bureau (ICB) is currently focusing on existing manpower and materials to come up with an appropriate health promotion strategy in the country.

Talking to The Bhutanese, the officiating chief media and information officer of health ministry, Dorji Phub, said, “We want to do an impact study on how effective the dissemination of health information in the rural areas has been.”

Despite many awareness campaigns on health issues among the general public, “this one will focus on behavior changes of the people,” he said thereby providing the right kind of information to the right person.

Communication for development and evidence-based planning is the main strategy of the division which it will be working on.

Dorji Phub also talked about the three main approaches in health promotion, namely the setting approach, where the division can pitch its strategy at particular areas such as schools, cities, communities, and hospitals; and secondly, the population-based approach which will  look upon people of different groups such as  children, adults, women, elderly persons, and workers. The final one is the the issue-based approach which means the focus will be on health issues like injury prevention, safe sex, physical activities, food safety, and  tobacco  use.

Focusing on a community or if possible an individual and developing  appropriate material is included in the strategic plan of the division. The Health Promotion Division  aims to come up with effective measures in disseminating information to the people.