Developing effective communication about a global pandemic in a multilingual space: Language choice and language use in COVID-19 campaigns in Ghana
- Funded by British Academy
- Total publications:0 publications
Grant number: COV19\201563
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Key facts
Disease
COVID-19Known Financial Commitments (USD)
$12,243.26Funder
British AcademyPrincipal Investigator
PendingResearch Location
GhanaLead Research Institution
University of York, Department of Language and Linguistic ScienceResearch Priority Alignment
N/A
Research Category
Policies for public health, disease control & community resilience
Research Subcategory
Approaches to public health interventions
Special Interest Tags
N/A
Study Type
Non-Clinical
Clinical Trial Details
N/A
Broad Policy Alignment
Pending
Age Group
Adults (18 and older)
Vulnerable Population
Unspecified
Occupations of Interest
Unspecified
Abstract
This project aims to improve communication about COVID-19 in a multilingual African context. In Ghana, most COVID-19 information is communicated in English, which may restrict comprehension and efficacy. Focusing on language and using quantitative and qualitive analyses, the project evaluates the effectiveness of COVID-19 campaigns in two communities in Accra with low literacy - one monolingual, traditional and non-mobile, the other multilingual, containing female migrants from Northern Ghana. In focus groups and interviews, community members discuss their knowledge and beliefs about COVID-19 and their sources of information. This informs the development of alternative COVID-19 health promotional materials that take the linguistic and cultural characteristics of the communities into account. Their impact will be assessed in further focus groups. Findings will be presented at a workshop with stakeholders from local authorities and the Health Ministry, as well as teachers and religious leaders. A policy brief will be produced following the workshop.