The issue under consideration is the impact of environmental problems on children’s health, and its importance is defined by the concerns of people about the future generation. It is addressed by the WHO campaign intended to minimize risks of death among this population group resulting from diseases that emerged as a consequence of pollution (“Children’s environmental health,” n.d.). The organization that conducts it, the WHO, is an agency of the United Nations, which is responsible for the health of people all over the world (“Who we are,” n.d.). According to the statistics, one out of four children dies of such health conditions (“Children’s environmental health,” n.d.). Therefore, the WHO program is one of the primary initiatives to provide for a better future of humankind.
The WHO’s intention to address global environmental problems that pose a threat to the health of children reflects the use of theoretical approaches. Thus, for example, its course of actions corresponds to the exchange theory, according to which behavior of a group of people has a tremendous impact on others. In this way, they instill new behavioral patterns and increase the population’s awareness regarding the problem of mortality rates among children under five (“Children’s environmental health,” n.d.). Hence, the issue presented by the WHO in its campaign is an example of the application of social marketing theories.
The information on the connection of environmental problems with children’s health published on the organization’s website conveys a clear message of people’s capability to make a difference. Hence, the increase in awareness of the citizens of developing countries and impoverished communities would facilitate the resolution of this issue (“Children’s environmental health,” n.d.). This suggestion implies the participation of all people in the world and makes them the target audience. In this way, their knowledge of the problem is the first step toward improving children’s quality of life. To meet this goal, the WHO implements various training activities and spreads information materials (“Children’s environmental health,” n.d.). Hence, the organization’s motivation results from the necessity to combine the efforts of people to combat the problem.
The influence of technological development on the campaigns of the WHO can be seen from the inclusion of a greater number of people in their initiatives. According to its website, the organization positions itself as a multinational and multilingual team, and it consists of more than 7000 people from more than 150 countries (“Who we are,” n.d.). Hence, technology has affected the way the organization presents itself through the provision of opportunities for communication among participants.
The issues of Media Ethics are also manifested in the website, as they are included in the general information about the WHO. They are reflected in the privacy policy of the organization provided in the section with its basic regulations (“Who we are,” n.d.). In this way, the WHO intends to address potential issues resulting from the improper use of personally identifiable data. As for lay theories, the website’s content most closely aligns with the approach known as “If you only knew what I know.” It is conditional upon the fact that the organization is confident in its good intentions and might fail to understand the inefficiency of some of its initiatives.
In conclusion, the policies of the WHO correspond to the principles of social marketing campaigns. The organization successfully implements the exchange theory to involve more people and increase the probability of resolutions of problems representing the ground for its current campaigns. Moreover, its activities, including training programs and the spread of information on health issues of children connected to environmental conditions, correspond to the ideas contained in lay theories.
References
Children’s environmental health. (n.d.). World Health Organization. 2020, Web.
Who we are. (n.d.). World Health Organization. 2020, Web.