Postdigital Health Communication in Graphic Medicine: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of World Health Organization Infographics about COVID-19

Abstract

In the postdigital age, organizational ways of communication have altogether changed. COVID-19 was a global problem which needed the dissemination of health information at the global level. World Health Organization (WHO) used infographics disseminated through digital media to communicate public health information during COVID-19 to audiences across the world. However, the effectiveness of the medium of infographics as health communication has not been measured. Using Kress and van Leeuwen’s visual grammar within the framework of Graphic Medicine, the present study aims to analyse the effectiveness of the medium of WHO’s COVID-19 infographics in the communication of public-health awareness. Kress and van Leeuwen’s multimodal discourse analysis method ascertains communicative effectiveness by viewing how these infographics fulfil the requirements of graphic health communication. It has been found that WHO communicated public health information through multimodal discourse of infographics in an effective and efficient manner. WHO infographics employ representational human figures, varied skin colours, and accessible visual cues to promote inclusivity, while captions effectively anchor the polysemous nature of visual elements to guide viewers towards the intended interpretation. The study argues that infographics used by WHO enact an inclusive visual health communication that even the people with limited proficiency in English are able to understand key public health information. The study is significant because it shows how health professionals may effectively use visual communication to convey health messages to the public.