Name: Chelsea Toledo

Program: Executive MPH, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

Track: Prevention Science

Thesis Title: WHAT IS A “CAMPAIGN”? – DETERMINING SHARED MEANING ACROSS GLOBAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

Date/Time/Location of Defense: July 15, 2020, 4 PM - 5:30 PM EDT/Virtual

Thesis Committee Chair: Rebecca L. Upton, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Thesis Field Advisor: Patrick O'Carroll, M.D., M.P.H.

Abstract of Thesis: The purpose of this study is to generate an operational definition of the term "global health campaign." While in many global health contexts, campaigns represent the preferred delivery method for public health initiatives, there is a lack of agreement on what constitutes a “campaign.” Without this consensus on what defines a campaign, it becomes difficult for those delivering public health services – namely, ministry of health workers in developing nations – to establish best practices and learn from one another. To generate an operational definition of "global health campaign," this study leveraged a series of qualitative interviews with individuals associated with ministries of health in eight different countries. Using a grounded theory approach, the data were coded inductively and seven key themes were identified. These themes were collated to form the following definition of "global health campaign."

"A global health campaign is a context-specific activity or set of activities based in a strategy to deliver a product (in the form of a service, treatment, or public health message) to a specific audience in a constrained period of time and distinct from routine health services – with the end goal of having an impact on a health condition of importance to the population."

In the short term, the findings of this study have the potential to inform the work of a newly created program at The Task Force for Global Health, the Campaign Effectiveness Program. In the longer term, an operational definition of “global health campaign” could help promote cross-learning through the literature, allowing for greater visibility of this general framework encompassing a broad range of activities around the world.