Introduction

The popularity of social media is projected to continue its growth in the years to come, and one may contend that the Internet has become the primary source of information for many US citizens. Promotion through various media outlets is one of the ways of tackling national problems, for instance, epidemics. This essay will discuss the Zika disease and its gravity in Florida and how healthcare organizations could use social media to inform the population and facilitate prevention.

Zika Free Florida

Zika fever is caused by the mosquito-borne virus which is strongly associated with severe congenital disabilities such as microcephaly. In the United States, due to traveling and tourism, first cases were documented as early as 2015 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Once the virus reached Florida, Florida Health launched an educational platform Zika Free Florida. Since 2015, Zika has been on a steady decline – from 1,471 cases in 2016 to 101 in 2018 (Zika Free Florida, 2018). Still, it is vital to inform the population about the threats of the disease.

Health Promotion on Social Media

Florida Health actively uses social media channels and has promoted Zika Free Florida on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. On the one hand, it is reasonable to use a bigger platform to spread information instead of creating a new one from scratch. On the other hand, it would be easier to target the issue with all the data stored on separate channels. One of the strategies that Florida Health could also adopt is collaborating with influencers, for instance, travel bloggers to help to advocate for safe traveling.

Conclusion

Throughout the last two decades, the Internet and social media have grown to be powerful tools in communicating relevant information and advocating good causes. One of the ways that healthcare institutions can put social media to good use is health education and promotion. An example of an online educational platform is Zika Free Florida. The Internet-resource boasts a strong online presence; however, it could benefit from an enhanced user involvement.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Zika cases in the United States. Web.

Zika Free Florida. (2018). Map. Total cases. Web.