About the Public Health Advocacy Institute

The Public Health Advocacy Institute’s mission is to influence, build, promote, and support advocacy for public health priorities.
We do this through innovation in education, applied research, engagement, and practice. Established in 2008, under the leadership of Emeritus Professor Mike Daube AO, the Institute is an independent public health voice based within Curtin University, supported by a range of funding partners.

We aim to:

  • coordinate and offer advocacy training
  • develop and implement advocacy-related projects and research to influence population health outcomes
  • raise the public profile & understanding of public health
  • develop local coalitions for public health issues
  • develop advocacy consensus-based targets
  • influence public health policy & public health agendas
  • provide advocacy mentoring

We do this by providing a diverse range of services including: advice on public health strategies, advocacy-related research and projects, and build the workforce and community capacity for effective advocacy.

First Nation People’s 
Health

Child
Health

Public Health Planning

Food
Security

Industry Strategies 
and Tactics

Mental Wellbeing

What is public health advocacy?

Advocacy means different things to different people, and it takes on many forms. But at it’s core, public health advocacy aims to influence the political and policy agendas.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes advocacy for health as a combination of individual and social actions designed to gain political commitment, policy support, social acceptance and systems support for a particular health goal or program[1]. 



It is included as one of three pillars within the WHO’s Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, being to advocate, enable and mediate[2].

By clearly defining your advocacy key ask, it is possible to develop partnerships and strategies which inform, create and influence legislation, and develop an environment where optimal health and wellbeing is possible. When aiming to change a policy, it is more than likely that you will be confronted with some opposition, so identifying the potential opposition and planning for ways to address the opposition are critical. To achieve advocacy outcomes, strategies including media, grassroots efforts and partnerships will help in building support for your advocacy ask.

As our primary tool, PHAI’s Advocacy in Action Toolkit is an important resource to guide your efforts.

[1] World Health Organization. Advocacy Strategies for Health and Development. Geneva: WHO; 1992.
[2] World Health Organization. The Ottawa Charter for health promotion. Geneva: WHO; 1986.

The Advocacy Toolkit

The toolkit is a practical resource that supports and encourages health professionals and interested organisations to engage in advocacy. The Advocacy in Action toolkit:

  • Introduces an advocacy planning model to help you design a comprehensive advocacy project;
  • Demystifies advocacy;
  • Includes examples and case studies demonstrating how advocacy strategies can be applied across different issues;
  • Offers tips to effectively work with the media; and
  • Provides practical tools to help you and your organisation advocate on your issue.

The fourth edition of the Advocacy in Action Toolkit focuses on creating an advocacy project using PHAI’s advocacy model.

It also features advocacy tips, case studies, advocacy tools and a comprehensive guide to evaluating your advocacy efforts.

Latest articles from PHAI

Latest posts from PHAI

Top 10 Tips for Successful Advocacy

Be

Be professional

Know

Know what
you want

Work together

Work in coalitions – present a united front; sing from the same song-sheet

Clear message

Have a clear message and call for action that is based on evidence

Understand politics

Understand government, policy, politics, politicians, bureaucracy – all levels, all parties: seek to work with all

Understand media

Understand and work with the media, including traditional and social

Identify the opposition

Identify and understand the opposition and oppose it

Plan

Work to a plan – but be creative and opportunistic

Patience

Overnight success takes time. Be patient, accept the best you can get along the way, but keep heading for the key objectives

Give

Share the limelight and give credit where it belongs

MADE AVAILABLE BY

OUR PARTNERS