AED pioneered the field of health communication 25 years ago with national campaigns in Honduras and the Gambia to introduce the use of oral rehydration therapy to save the lives of children with diarrhea. This USAID-funded program -- Mass Media and Health Practices (1978-85) -- was one of the first externally evaluated communications projects to demonstrate significant national changes in child care behaviors as well as public health impact. Over the past two decades AED has adapted and applied its methodology to address a wide range of health problems through such projects as HEALTHCOM, NCP, AIDSCOM, CHANGE, and the Health Communication Partnership (HCP) -- facilitating changes in individual health practices, influencing community and social norms, creating demand for services and products, making service-delivery systems and procedures more client-centered, and supporting crucial policy changes. We have worked in partnership with Ministries of Health, NGOs, the private sector and other organizations in more than 50 countries. Strengthening the capacity of these partners in the art and science of health communication has been one of our paramount goals.
The AED Center for Global Health Communication and Marketing (CGHCM) is dedicated to bringing about positive changes in the actions of individuals, communities, and institutions that will improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations around the world. The Center, part of AED's Global Health, Population, and Nutrition Group, employs more than 75 staff and manages more than 20 international health projects. These have been funded by a range of clients, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and others.
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