At the Front Lines of Global Health Messaging: A Conversation with Gabriella Stern

Why It Matters

Effective, partnership‑driven health communication saves lives during crises and builds long‑term public trust, making it a strategic priority for governments, NGOs, and media alike.

Key Takeaways

• WHO communications scaled rapidly, partnering with diverse global influencers.
• Two-way audience engagement informed WHO messaging and policy adjustments.
• Pandemic highlighted need for continuous coverage of non‑COVID health issues.
• Media can both amplify and distort health information; responsible reporting essential.
• Investing in public‑health careers and journalism strengthens global health resilience.

Summary

The Harvard Chan School hosted Gabriella Stern, former WHO communications director, to discuss how global health messaging was crafted during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Stern described the unprecedented challenge of delivering evolving scientific guidance around the clock, in multiple languages, while her team grappled with personal losses and the pressure of an unknown pathogen. She emphasized that WHO’s response hinged on rapid scaling and a partnership model: leveraging video‑game companies, Hollywood, sports stars, and grassroots volunteers to meet audiences where they lived. Real‑time social‑media listening fed back into policy, allowing the organization to adjust recommendations based on what resonated or confused the public. Stern highlighted nurses as the most trusted messengers and critiqued media practices that prioritize sensational soundbites over nuance. She praised diligent health reporters but warned against caricaturing complex issues, urging newsrooms to invest in sustained, interconnected coverage of global health beyond COVID. The conversation underscores the necessity of continuous investment in public‑health communication talent and responsible journalism. A collaborative, audience‑centric approach not only improves crisis response but also reinforces the broader perception of public health as a shared, global responsibility.

Original Description

A virus never before seen in humans is killing people around the world. What do you say to a global audience desperate to learn more? Gabriella Stern faced this question head-on. For more than six years, she served as director of communications at the World Health Organization, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In this fireside chat, Stern will share stories from the front lines of global health communication—what it takes to craft and deliver clear, trusted messaging on issues ranging from infectious disease outbreaks to humanitarian crises to massive public health funding cuts—all while navigating a rapidly evolving communications landscape.

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SPEAKERS

■ Gabriella Stern, retired Director of Communications, World Health Organization; Harvard Affiliate; Journalist

MODERATOR

■ Clarisza Runtung, MPH candidate ‘27, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

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Sharing diverse perspectives on public health.

Speakers do not speak for Harvard.