Author: Bernard Appiah – Department of Public Health, Falk College, Syracuse University, Ghana

Co-authors:

  • Elvis Twumasi Aboagye – West African Centre for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana
  • Kyerewaa Akuamoah Boateng – West African Centre for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana
  • Paulina Tindana – University of Ghana School of Public Health
  • Alfred Tsiboe – KEBA Africa

The perspectives of deaf people in the design and implementation of science communication research projects are largely lacking particularly in low- and middle-income countries. According to the World Health Organization, disabling hearing loss affects over 5% of the global population or 466 million people. But how do you explain the genetics of deafness to deaf people and their family members?

A multidisciplinary team involving genetics researchers, deaf actors, actors who can hear, public engagement scholars and drama production experts in Ghana are working together to produce two 25-minute docu-drama science communication toolkits. One docu-drama will use only sign language to help reach deaf students of at least 18 years old in six Ghanaian schools for the deaf while the other docu-drama (with sign language insert) will be used to engage family members of deaf students.

The purpose of the toolkits is to help deaf people and their family members to understand the need for genetics research into hearing impairment or deafness. The lack of such a toolkit is making it challenging for Ghanaian researchers to engage deaf people and their family members for research into genetics of hearing impairment.

In June 2019, the multidisciplinary team of 30 people took part in a two-day, deliberative workshop. The workshop identified the challenges and opportunities of using docu-drama to engage with deaf people and their family members. The workshop also identified storylines for creating docu-drama on the genetics of hearing impairment, and key genetics terms that needed to be explained, among others.

In this Insight Talk (New ideas), we will share preliminary outcomes of the project including the script, and how the perspectives of deaf members on the team are shaping the project. We believe that our project is transformative because it widens the participation in science communication research for deaf people.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Insight talk
Theme: Transformation

Author: Bernard Appiah – Department of Public Health, Falk College, Syracuse University, Ghana

Co-authors:
Cecil Jones Abban – Centre for Science and Health Communication, Ghana
David Anum – Centre for Science and Health Communication, Ghana
Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt – Ministry of Health, Ghana

Antimicrobial resistance — the phenomenon by which medicines used for fighting disease-causing microbes no longer become effective — is a threat to human life. Behavioral practices such as buying antibiotics without prescriptions and stopping treatment with antibiotics without advice of healthcare professionals are particularly common in the developing world. These practices contribute to the rising antimicrobial resistance.

In Ghana, an ongoing project involves schoolchildren (12-16 years old) using picture drawing as an engagement approach to depict the correct and incorrect use of medicines, and the consequences. The project is being implemented in collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Health, Ghana Education Service and a community-based, non-governmental organisation.

We have trained two science teachers to use picture drawing drawing to engage the students. The students will be asked to draw pictures about correct and incorrect use of antibiotics and the effects of these practices.

We will invite parents to attend a picture-drawing event in the school, during which students and parents could ask questions for science communicators and medical experts to provide them with answers. In addition, we will produce an animation in collaboration with five students with the top five pictures. We will show the animation during Parent-Teacher Association meeting as a second engagement approach with the parents.

We expect knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about misuse of antibiotics among the students and parents to change positively. The outcome of this project could contribute to the fight against antimicrobial resistance in Ghana.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Idea in progress
Theme: Science
Area of interest: Applying science communication research to practice

Author: Bernard Appiah – Department of Public Health, Falk College, Syracuse University, Ghana

Co-authors:
David Anum – Centre for Science and Health Communication, Ghana
George Appiah – Centre for Science and Health Communication, Ghana
Edward Mulogo – Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda
Esther Nakkazi – Health Journalists Network Uganda
Samuel Odai – Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
Anubhuti Poudyal – Texas A&M School of Public Health, USA

Workshops involving scientists and media professionals are increasingly being organised to promote public engagement with science. However, there is limited research on approaches to establishing and evaluating networks among scientists and journalists to promote public engagement with environmental health.

The Scientists and Journalists Networked to Promote Environment Health is a pilot project that was implemented in Ghana and Uganda to build the capacity of journalists and scientists to engage with each other. In addition, this project used social network analysis as an innovative approach for analyzing the networks, and assessed the feasibility of using online discussions for public engagement with environmental health.

In each country, journalists with interest in reporting environmental health attended a two-day workshop with scientists undertaking environmental health research. A social network questionnaire was administered to participants during, and several months after, the workshop, to assess engagements with environmental health among the scientists and the journalists.

This show and tell will highlight how the networks were formed and the findings from the social network analysis. We will also show the findings of a feasibility study among the scientists and journalists for using online discussion forum to engage with each other to help sustain the networks. There were increased public engagements among the participants after the workshop, with most favouring using weekly online discussions to promote engagement with environmental health issues.

Scientists-journalists networks on environmental health and the use of social network analysis as an approach for evaluations should be encouraged for advancing public communication of science and technology, and knowledge translation.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Show, tell and talk
Theme: Science
Area of interest: Investigating science communication practices