178 Advancing evidence-based road safety advocacy: strategic communication skills development via cross-country workshops model

<h3>Background</h3> As part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit (JH-IIRU) is working to strengthen the road safety ecosystem and promote data-driven policies in 30 cities across 15 countries. JH-IIRU is committed to building the capacity for communication, policy advocacy, evidence uptake, and media engagement to enhance evidence-based road safety programs and systems. <h3>Objective</h3> JH-IIRU has launched a breakthrough program for cross-national learning and coordination on road safety data use, communication strategies, and evidence-informed policy advocacy among its local collaborating institutions. <h3>Program Description</h3> A 2-day workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, convened 17 road safety practitioners from Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, and Malaysia, collaborating with JH-IIRU on BIGRS. In-depth sessions focused on evidence uptake, communication strategies, including messaging and impactful presentations, and productive media engagement. Attendees shared experiences and co-developed solutions to context-specific communication and advocacy challenges. The interactive format encouraged peer learning and collaborative problem-solving. <h3>Outcomes and Learnings</h3> JH-IIRU will continue providing similar capacity-building forums, refining content based on iterative learnings. Participants gained substantial skills in communicating road safety evidence persuasively to policymakers. Attendees developed expertise in crafting tailored messaging for government, media, and public audiences. Extensive hands-on practice honed impactful presentation and media engagement skills. Cross-country peer learning of innovative approaches like social media campaigns was instrumental in formulating context-appropriate communication and evidence-uptake strategies. This workshop paved the way for the continued advancement of competencies in translating data into action through strategic communication and policy advocacy. <h3>Implications</h3> This collaborative forum demonstrated the significant value of fostering extensive communities of practice between road safety professionals across Asia to enable coordination and mutual learning on evidence-based advocacy. Integrating this model within existing regional injury prevention networks could substantially strengthen communication capacities and catalyze policy action on road safety nationally and regionally. <h3>Conclusions</h3> By equipping road safety professionals with enhanced skills for translating evidence into persuasive messaging and actionable policy recommendations, these collaborative forums can catalyze significant advancements in national and regional road safety agendas that are informed by data and grounded in a comprehensive understanding of effective advocacy.