Public Health Communication and Advocacy: Building Trust and Influence for Better Results
Program overview: Public Health Communication and Advocacy
The Public Health Communication and Advocacy: Building Trust and Influence for Better Results program from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is a six-week online program that equips professionals working in or associated with public health with advanced skills in policy advocacy, crisis communication, and behavioral change strategies. The learning journey empowers you to strengthen public trust and health systems across diverse settings.
Today, public health operates in complex environments in which misinformation, polarization, and resource constraints threaten progress. To navigate these challenges, professionals must communicate with authority, mobilize alliances, and advance equitable public health outcomes. Through expert-led modules, real-world case studies, and applied learning, this program prepares you to craft evidence-based public health messaging, influence policy design, enhance public health literacy, and drive lasting impact.
75%
Over $50 million
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Who is the Public Health Communication and Advocacy program for?
The Public Health Communication and Advocacy program from Harvard Chan School is designed for mid- to senior-level professionals working across public health systems, health care delivery, media, nonprofits, and policy. Participants will gain tools to influence narratives, shape policy agendas, and build public trust.
This program is particularly beneficial for:
Public health decision makers and policy influencers, including health program directors, policy advisors, and strategic leaders, who seek to sharpen their communication strategies, advocate for funding, influence policy outcomes, and mobilize cross-sector coalitions in times of crisis
Public health communication and advocacy professionals, including health journalists, science writers, and public information officers, who want to build public trust, counter misinformation, and deploy structured frameworks for advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and persuasive storytelling
Medical leaders and academic professionals, including physicians, faculty, and medical researchers, who aim to leverage their expertise to shape institutional priorities, strengthen public health messaging, and lead change with clarity and confidence
Key learning outcomes
The Public Health Communication and Advocacy program will equip you to:
Analyze global public health challenges and assess the role of communication in driving policy and behavioral change
Develop persuasive advocacy strategies to effectively engage stakeholders
Apply communication frameworks to manage misinformation, enhance public trust, and lead with clarity during public health emergencies
Design compelling public health messaging and engagement strategies
Program highlights
Experience live online sessions with expert faculty and learning facilitators, and engage in discussions that reinforce program concepts and practical applications.
Amplify your key learnings through reflective, case-based activities designed to support immediate application in your work.
Collaborate with a diverse cohort of global public health professionals to broaden your perspective and form a cohesive learning community.
Learn at your own pace with a weekly commitment of three to five hours of sessions and activities.
Examine landmark public health cases to understand how advocacy, communication, and policy influence can drive global cooperation, shape outcomes, and build public trust.
Gain access to proven models and communication strategies that support influence, stakeholder alignment, and public health leadership
Apply your learning to address a real-world public health challenge, demonstrating the skills and strategies you gained from the program.
Note: *Live sessions are subject to change based on faculty availability and schedule.
What you will learn in the Public Health Communication and Advocacy program
The expert-led curriculum of the Public Health Communication and Advocacy program features six modules built around the key domains of public health: influence, advocacy, crisis communication, and leadership. Designed for immediate application, the program blends self-paced learning with expert-led sessions, case studies, and hands-on activities, enabling you to lead with clarity and deliver impact across complex public health systems.
Case studies
The Public Health Communication and Advocacy program from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health features real-world case studies that reveal how communication, advocacy, and influence have shaped global public health outcomes. From international health treaties to crisis management, these examples provide practical lessons in policy design, crisis communication, and stakeholder mobilization.
Global HIV/AIDS response
Every Woman Every Child
Lancet commissions on cancer globally
COVID-19 pandemic
Policy responses to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
Flint water crisis
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
Capstone project
The Public Health Communication and Advocacy program features a capstone project that presents a hands-on opportunity to identify and address a real-world public health challenge within your community, organization, or professional context. Drawing on program insights, you will design a strategic response to misinformation, harnessing stakeholder engagement, policy change, and public communication, and present a final solution that demonstrates measurable, real-world impact.
Meet the faculty
Professor, Global Health Systems; Director, Health Systems Innovation Lab; Faculty Affiliate, Department of Health Policy and Management
Rifat Atun is the vice dean for Non-Degree Education and Innovation at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His academic research focuses on the performance of health sy...
Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
K. “Vish” Viswanath serves as the faculty director of the Health Communication Core and the founding director of the Enhancing Communications for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Labora...
Why Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health?
For more than 100 years, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has worked to improve health and promote equity so all people can thrive. With a mission to educate leaders who will contribute to the public health landscape worldwide, our school has cultivated a legacy of excellence. Our alumni are global leaders and renowned experts in every aspect of public health, serving in influential positions, including as prime ministers, health secretaries, and leaders of global health initiatives. In the United States, eight alumni have served as directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Our faculty have made groundbreaking discoveries and developed powerful solutions across a wide range of fields. Three scientists affiliated with the School have been awarded the Nobel Prize; others have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and been awarded MacArthur “genius grants.” Many hold memberships in the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.
Certificate of completion
Upon completing the Public Health Communication and Advocacy program, you will receive a digital certificate of completion from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Your digitally verified certificate will be issued in your legal name and emailed to you at no additional cost upon completion of the program, as per the stipulated requirements. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
This program does not grant academic credit or professional certifications from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Frequently asked questions
Connect With a Program Advisor for a 1:1 Session
Email: learner.success@emeritus.org
Phone: +1 315 847 5237 (US) / +44 180 322 5324 (UK) / +65 3123 7050 (SG)
Flexible payment options available.
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