Authors : Sónia Deolinda Banguira Posse; Dr. Nelson Ribeiro; Dr. Alice Nhamposse

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2r9jmcmd

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/3u9kj9z3

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jun728

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Health communication for development and social change constitutes an essential interdisciplinary field for understanding processes of social transformation in the domain of public health. Drawing on a critical review of the paradigms of communication for development modernisation, dependency, participation and emerging approaches this article examines how each of these models shapes the design, implementation and effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns targeting young people in Mozambique. The study also examines the evolution towards Communication for Social Change (CSC), highlighting participatory strategies, digital communication, entertainment-education and social marketing. It is argued that approaches centred exclusively on the transmission of information reveal limitations in promoting sustainable behavioural change, particularly among young populations in contexts marked by structural inequalities, gender norms and stigma. In contrast, participatory, culturally contextualised and digitally diversified models demonstrate greater effectiveness in promoting the active engagement of young people and behavioural transformation. The analysis integrates empirical evidence from the Mozambican context, based on research conducted in the city of Maputo combining content analysis of campaigns, a questionnaire survey of 390 young people and six focus groups with 58 participants.

Keywords : Health Communication for Development; Social Change; Health Communication; HIV/AIDS; Youth; Community Participation; Mozambique; Communicational Effectiveness.

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