Ly-die

Generally speaking, a fact is a statement that a condition has existed, will exist, or is likely to exist at some point in the near future. Whenever a policy-maker or a leader is presenting a statement of fact, it is imperative he or she ensures that they provide the necessary, reliable, and appropriate factual evidence in support of the statement of fact.

During the preparation process for my Student Led Discussion (SLD) presentation, I learned the importance of facts when making or proposing a policy.

As the title of my presentation was Monkeypox: Policy Advocate, I would simply like to state that an advocate is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as:

“A person who advocates or advocates a particular cause or proposal”.

The role of an advocate involves a wide range of activities that influence decision-makers such as legislation, lobbying, and policymaking in order to facilitate a policy change.

The concept of evidence refers to facts, whereas policy refers to political decisions. For further details, how would we define a policy as evidence-based in this context?

Engaging in evidence-based policymaking takes pragmatism, good governance principles, and persuasive skills. In order to effectively use scientific evidence in public health policy, researchers must recognize that policymakers tend to rely on shortcuts and beliefs based on emotions and familiarity; they need to know how to present evidence effectively (Cairney et al.).

Additionally, in order to generate an effective policy, the researcher must also be prepared to engage in long-term strategies; in both instances, it is important to determine how far you are prepared to go with regard to establishing a hierarchy of evidence that can support the policy (Cairney et al.). For example, when researching for a MonkeyPox policy advocate, I had to look at the facts and evidence related to the most vulnerable groups of people affected by this particular virus.

Obviously, I was able to find facts that shaped my opinion of how monkeypox affects the affected community. Firstly, I found during my research that a number of miscommunications and missteps were committed during the process of providing vaccination doses to vulnerable groups due to miscommunications. In addition, some experts suggested that focusing on the spread of monkeypox affected communities might result in discrimination against the affected community (Anders).

Secondly, many failures contributed to the outbreak of monkeypox, such as the lack of early engagement by local officials in addressing the monkeypox Pandemic , including engaging the most vulnerable groups. In addition, health officials at all levels did not adequately address community organizations, make vaccines and tests available, educate the public, and were unable to respond to community organizations. Officials were reluctant to communicate with the most affected community or fear that they would stigmatize them (Grablic).

It is clear that government officials are repeating the mistakes they made in Coronavirus and HIV pandemics in the past. People could also not get medical attention and learn about Monkeypox because of low salaries in low-paying jobs. Consequently, a lack of targeted outreach to communities of color aggravated existing disparities (Messerly et al.).

It is imperative for public health programs to remain committed to providing tailored, respectful harm reduction messages that do not stigmatize vulnerable communities. In addition, they should educate society about harm reduction in a manner that does not stigmatize them. Maximizing equitable access should be a priority for vaccine programs.

I learned how to be a policy advocate by leading a discussion. As a result of this study, I have learned how important it is to educate communities about health inequities to reduce health disparities. Having gained this knowledge, I could now understand the significance of ending the outbreak quickly and effectively before it spread to other communities due to my understanding. I also learned the importance of being pragmatic and compassionate towards the country’s most vulnerable communities during the pandemic. By sharing facts and evidence about what stigmatized communities go through, I have learned that it can increase the likelihood that they will support policies and efforts designed to address these challenges.

Next time I will write facts to influence policy change. It would be my goal to focus on developing messaging and framing that are effective at raising awareness of an issue. This would involve changing people’s perceptions, and motivating them to take action. As a result, I will be able to ensure that the messages I deliver to vulnerable individuals are relevant to them. Thus, when developing messages, it is essential to consider the recipients’ motivations.

Works Cited

Castañeda, Heide, et al. “Immigration as a Social Determinant of Health.” EScholarship, University of California, 16 Mar. 2021, escholarship.org/uc/item/88x898z6.

“COMSTD 72 Logic & Argumentation: Claim of Fact, Value, & Policy.” ResearchGuides, libguides.chaffey.edu/c.php?g=1094181&p=7980344.

“LGBTQ Advocates Say the Government Is Missing Communities of Color in Its Monkeypox Response.” POLITICO, www.politico.com/news/2022/08/18/lgbtq-monkeypox-people-of-color-disparities-00052705.

Grablick, Colleen. “How Monkeypox Messaging and Response Is Failing, According to Local LGBTQ Advocates.” NPR, NPR, 2 Aug. 2022, www.npr.org

Cairney, Paul, and Kathryn Oliver. “Evidence-Based Policymaking Is Not like Evidence-Based Medicine, so How Far Should You Go to Bridge the Divide between Evidence and Policy? – Health Research Policy and Systems.” BioMed Central, BioMed Central, 26 Apr. 2017, health-policy-systems.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12961-017-0192-x.

Anders, Caroline. “Analysis | The Biden Administration’s Monkeypox Messaging Challenge.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 18 Aug 2022.www.washingtonpost.