May 15, 2024

Guiding Principles for Global Communication

CDC's commitment to health equity was reinforced with the release of the Global Health Equity Guiding Principles for Communication. These principles underpin the approach, language, and visuals that can be used to communicate global work in a way that is inclusive, respectful, non-stigmatizing, and appropriately tailored to diverse global audiences.

Overview

CDC defines health equity as the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health. Equitable communication— along with equitable partnerships, science, policy, and practice— is integral to translating scientific data into resources and programs that promote global health equity.

Through deliberate choice of respectful, tailored, and culturally nuanced words, narratives, and visual products, global public health agencies can more effectively advance programmatic and strategic goals while promoting equitable and fair public health practices.

Purpose and Use

This tool adds a global perspective to CDC's Health Equity Guiding Principles for Inclusive Communication. These communication principles also complement CDC's Global Health Equity Strategy, which includes guiding principles for implementing health equity and promoting a sustained culture of equity and accountability.

This global communication resource is not intended to be prescriptive, exhaustive, or final. As priorities, language, and cultures evolve, this resource will also evolve to continue to provide recommendations and prompt further reflection and discussion.

CDC encourages global public health professionals to adapt and apply these principles when communicating about their agency's global public health portfolio. This resource may be particularly useful for health professionals from high-income countries as they seek to promote global equity and inclusion through communication.