Dear HEC members,
Welcome to the IAMCR Health Communication Working Group newsletter for January 2025.
Happy new year too all our members, and we would like to take the opportunity to share some updates for you all as we welcome in the new year.
We would like to pay tribute to Professor Warren Feek, who was a much-loved, bold and transformative leader in communication for development who made many meaningful contributions to the field and forged unforgettable connections with many colleagues.
Leadership and Evidence-Based Approach
He led the Communication Initiative with vision, emphasising data-based evidence to demonstrate the impact of development communication projects. Along the way, he would challenge conventional wisdom and acknowledge failures in pursuit of improving a research approach or project.
Knowledge Building and Collaboration
Under his guidance, numerous publications, books, and journal articles were produced covering topics from communication theory to specific case studies like polio communication in India. He facilitated important gatherings – including global roundtables, congresses, and summits - that resulted in influential manifestos and new partnerships.
Inclusive Leadership Style
Warren created an open, collaborative environment that welcomed participation from anyone interested in the field. His communication style was engaging and empathetic - he made people feel heard and valued, even when discussing complex topics.
Global South Advocacy
He was a strong advocate for decolonising health communication, actively working to counter Western dominance by amplifying voices and innovations from Latin America and Africa. He consistently pushed for those most affected by decisions to be central to discussions.
Critical Thinking and Human Rights
Warren was known for questioning institutional groupthink and scrutinising claimed successes. He maintained a strong focus on human rights, particularly for children and women, and understood the structural and systemic nature of development challenges.
His legacy lives on through the Communication Initiative, which grew under his leadership into a comprehensive knowledge repository and global network of practitioners, academics, policymakers, and activists dedicated to social change.
IAMCR 2024 Conference
Thank you to so many of you who joined us in Aotearoa New Zealand for IAMCR 2024 from 30 June to 4 July. We had an extraordinary turnout of delegates, particularly from Health Communication, many of whom made the lengthy journey to present papers, make connections, share ideas, and celebrate successes together. Thank you to the presenters for sharing your valuable research projects and findings across the four days and to those who participated as audience members, posing questions and showing engagement with the research projects being presented. A special thank you to those who volunteered their valuable time to act as chairs and discussants for the Health Communication sessions which enriched the sessions: Kate Holland, Hannah Adler, Cindy Ngai, Mary-Anne Taylor, Emmanuel Essel, and Mohammed Ittefaq. Thank you!
We were also delighted at the attendance by so many of you at our Health Communication Working Group social event during the conference.
Our social media presence
Please join us on Instagram and Facebook for regular updates about upcoming events, issues, and for networking and sharing information amongst the group. A big thank you to our brilliant new Social Media Officer, Basma Salem from Loughborough University, for her excellent creative work in establishing our presence on these platforms. Please be patient with us as we build these up over time – we hope you will join the conversation! If you have any news for the Health Communication Working Group that you would like to share, please send an email to Basma at: B.Y.M.Y.Salem@lboro.ac.uk
October’s 2024 Webinar
Health Communication at the crossroads: Rethinking Theory, Research and Practice: We were delighted to host our first Webinar on 29 October this year, with our very honoured guests, who are leading scholars in health communication:
- Mohan J Dutta, Dean's Chair Professor of Communication, Director of the Center for Culture-Centered, Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE)
- Ama de-Graft Aikins, Professor of Social Psychology, The Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana and Visiting Professor, Department of Methodology, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- Cassia Ayres, Regional Manager of Social & Behaviour Change & Social Sciences Researcher, UNICEF Panama
- Rafael Obregon, Country representative, UNICEF Nicaragua
Thank you to our stellar presenters, this was a high calibre event in which they beautifully articulated some of the key challenges for health communication inquiry, scholarship and practice ‘at the crossroads’. Thank you also to so many of you who joined this webinar – as our presenters discussed decolonising health communication, co-creating democratic spaces for health, strengthening health systems through human-centred design, SBC interventions, considering models for future disease outbreak challenges, the need to increase dialogue between researchers and practitioners, the highly complex environments in which health communication occurs, the role of the arts for health communication … and much more. The webinar is now available at https://iamcr.org/webinars/health-communication and also on the IAMCR webinar channel in Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/channels/iamcrwebinars).
IAMCR 2025 Conference
This year’s IAMCR 2025 conference will be held in Singapore (13-17 July), hosted by Nanyang Technological University, with the topic Communicating Environmental Justice: Many Voices, One Planet. The deadline for submissions is 7 February. Please keep an eye on the IAMCR conference website for the Call for Proposals and updates.
Our health communication working group will have a special feature at the 2025 conference. For the first time, HEC will host a joint session with the Participatory Communication Research (PCR) as this session will contribute to the value of interdisciplinarity and mentorship-oriented spaces. If you would like your proposed paper to be included in the joint session, please do the following:
- For the HEC/PCR please submit via the CfPs in those respective Sections, following their Abstract Guidelines, and using the appropriate Topic tag in the ExOrdo system.
Call for reviewers! IAMCR 2025 conference abstracts
We will be emailing some of you a request to be listed as reviewers for our 2025 conference. Each year, our co-chairs and co-vice chairs take on an exhaustive list of abstracts to review for the annual conference, and we call on our members (especially those intending to submit abstracts) to offer some support with this process. You will receive an email requesting your participation as a reviewer for conference submissions to IAMCR 2025. We will not add your name to our reviewers list unless you have indicated your consent to be involved.
IAMCR Health Communication Working Group Mentorship Program (Sign-Up by February 15).
The IAMCR Health Communication Working Group (HCWG) is excited to launch a Mentorship Program to build a stronger global Health Communication community. Mentorship is a vital part of professional and academic growth, and this program aims to foster meaningful connections between experienced and early-career scholars.
How the Program Works
Participants can sign up as mentors, mentees, or both.
- Mentors: Include assistant, associate, or full professors, and other established scholars who are ready to share their experience and insights.
- Mentees: Include graduate students, postdocs, early-career faculty (e.g., assistant professors), and others seeking guidance on navigating academia or professional growth.
Mentors and mentees will be matched based on shared research interests, career goals, and geographic diversity to encourage international collaboration. Each pair will meet for at least one hour during the year, either online or in person, to discuss topics such as career development, grant writing, research strategies, or academic challenges.
Who Can Participate?
The program is open to all members attending IAMCR 2025.
- Mentees may include graduate students, postdocs, pre-tenure faculty, and other early-career scholars.
- Mentors may include assistant, associate, or full professors and other established scholars.
- Pre-tenure faculty members can participate as both mentors and mentees by completing the sign-up form twice.
While mentees who have participated previously are welcome to join again, priority will be given to first-time participants if mentors are limited.
How to Join
To participate, complete the Google Form. Provide your name, affiliation, country, contact information, research interests, and mentorship goals.
HCWG leadership will review submissions and pair participants based on their responses. Matches will be announced several weeks before the conference, giving mentors and mentees time to connect and plan their meeting.
Commitment and Support
Each mentor and mentee pair is required to meet at least once during the year, with the option to continue their relationship beyond the initial session. HCWG leadership will be available during the conference to provide support if needed (e.g., if a mentor is unresponsive).
By participating, you’ll contribute to a stronger, more collaborative Health Communication community. Sign up today to help shape the future of our field!
From our organising team, Eliza, Fawad, Adebayo and Monique – thank you everyone for your fabulous connections, participation, and collaboration in 2024. We wish you a safe and rejuvenating break and a very happy new year.
Where to find us on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcr.hec/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A7ueJiyYx/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Twitter/X: Forthcoming