Australian Health Promotion Association

Judith McCool, Ashleigh Cussen and Shanthi Ameratunga

Introduction: Global health has received considerable attention over the past 20 years, with increased investment from some governments, nongovernment organisations (NGOs) and private philanthropists (e.g. the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation).1 Despite the financial and government responses to global health inequities, the distribution of resources remains disproportionately clustered in developed, higher income countries, where only 16% of the world’s population lives.2,3 As demonstrated by the Global Burden of Disease project, the burden of mortality and morbidity is disproportionately borne by low and middle income countries (LMICs).4

There is a large body of research into the news media’s role in shaping social and political opinion.5 Despite concerns about the adverse effects of media on a range of (anti) social behaviours, the news media are  considered a useful vehicle for stimulating awareness of health concerns.6-8 There may be a growing public appetite for global health-related stories and these stories can boost advocacy efforts to increase government involvement in global health issues.9 This study aims to address the following questions: how are global health issues represented in mainstream newspapers in New Zealand?; and, to what extent do these representations match the main causes of morbidity and mortality according to the Global Burden of Disease report?

Issue Addressed: In the context of a globalised world, reports on health that extend personal or country borders have increasing relevance. Media can promote opportunities to identify and address gaps in important global health issues. In light of the potential role of media as an advocacy tool for global health, we examined how global health issues are represented in mainstream media in New Zealand.
Methods: We conducted a content analysis of media reports on global health issues in the four highest circulation newspapers in New Zealand between June 2007 and May 2009. Search terms included ‘global health’, ‘international health’ and ‘world health’.
Results: Communicable disease was the most frequently reported global health issue in New Zealand newspapers, followed by environment (e.g. climate change), general health risks (unsafe pharmaceuticals) and substance use (tobacco and alcohol). Chronic disease, injury or their determinants were less frequently reported.
Conclusions: Mainstream media favours health-related reports based on crisis, epidemic or acute conditions over chronic or non-communicable diseases or disability. Health issues facing the Asia Pacific region increasingly include chronic diseases, which would benefit from greater media coverage to increase advocacy and political awareness of global health challenges.
So what? Influencing policy and investment in global health partly relies upon an informed public. This brief report indicates there are missed opportunities to promote greater awareness of health challenges facing developing countries through major newspapers in New Zealand.

Health Promotion Journal of Australia 2011; 22: 228-30