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Abstract
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Virtual Pre-Conference Global Injury Prevention Showcase 2021 - Abstract Book - # 6C.002
Advocacy skills are essential for the prevention scientists, researchers and practitioners to potentially influence policy and decision making processes for better prevention policies and practice. Those skills are important especially in those prevention areas where so-called 'unhealthy' industries are influential and/or (at least) want to be important stakeholders in the field (such as alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical companies). They are also important to advocate for evidence-based prevention policies (e.g. alcohol, tobacco or drug policy) and practice, which should be fully in line with minimum quality standards in prevention. There is a growing need globally for advocacy knowledge and skills in prevention science and practice. Some key challenges regarding the needs for advocacy and training (in purpose to increase knowledge and skills) will be presented and discussed by the author. Based on authors extensive experience, advocacy could increase competences and skills for advocacy, such as forging stronger relationships with policy and decision makers and other key stakeholders in the field, advocating for the use of research to inform policy and decision makers about evidence-based policies and practice, providing expert testimony, writing position papers, press releases and social media posts, increasing the visibility and recognition of evidence-based prevention and committing to ongoing advocacy. Scientists, researchers and practitioners need to become more relevant to policy and decision makers if we want to achieve better results in prevention science and practice at international, regional or local level.
Language: en |