Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House: Visualisation, Representation and Dissemination of Health-Related Public Engagement Media.

Abstract

Stigma and mistrust generate significant barriers to the uptake of biomedical, clinical and public health measures to combat infectious diseases. Many pandemics such as HIV, TB and COVID-19 disproportionately affect poorer communities, and the social and public health impact is connected through socio-political histories and contexts. This chapter describes activities and reflections of a South African public engagement programme, Eh!woza, that aims to bring together the biomedicine of disease with its social context and impact. We describe experiences working on tuberculosis-related public engagement programmes in South Africa, and how these approaches were refocused to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We reflect on the lesson learned and considerations around visualising the social impact of disease and making the visualisation of accurate information relatable to younger audiences. Much of the discussion is situated within description and reflection, touching on both the historical and contemporary cultural and political conditions in which infectious diseases have flourished. Finally, the challenges we faced when effectively disseminating media on large-scale digital platforms are highlighted, raising important questions around representation, mass targets, and impactful dissemination of public engagement outputs.