The College of Mass Communication at the University of Baghdad discussed a PhD dissertation titled “Employing Public Relations Approaches in Shaping Public Attitudes Toward the Health Insurance Law: An Analytical Study of Communication Activities at the Ministry of Health and a Survey of Beneficiary Audiences,” submitted by researcher Ruaa Fadhil Faleh.
The examination committee was chaired by Professor Jafar Shaheed Hashim, with Professor Baqir Mousa Jassim as supervisor. The committee also included Assistant Professor Kareem Misht Zalaf, Assistant Professor Sundus Fouad Mustafa, Professor Mohsen Jalloub Jabr, and Professor Amani Albert Adeeb as an external member.
The study aimed to examine how public relations approaches are employed in shaping public attitudes toward the Health Insurance Law in Iraq, amid the need to strengthen public awareness of modern health legislation.
The findings showed that the public has not yet formed a clear and stable position toward the Health Insurance Law, while confirming that the use of public relations approaches through digital platforms represents an effective communication tool for promoting modern health awareness.
The dissertation recommended rebuilding the communication strategy of the Health Insurance Authority by shifting from awareness-raising to behavioral influence in order to foster stable positive attitudes among the public, in addition to adopting a balanced mix of emotional and rational appeals in communication discourse.
The outcomes of the dissertation align with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4 and Goal 16.
