I am a Program Officer for Social and Behavior Change for USAID’s ReachHealth Project in the Philippines, through the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs.
The work I do is focused on designing and implementing evidence-based communication interventions for behavior change, particularly around fostering and strengthening healthy behaviors for Family Planning, and in protection against COVID-19.
I hold a Master’s Degree (MSc) in Social and Public Communication (Psychological and Behavioral Science) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a Bachelor’s Degree (BS) in Management from the Ateneo de Manila University. My experience in both the private and public sectors ranges from Program Management, Social Communication, Public & Media Relations, Corporate Marketing & Events, and Research, with exposure to Health, ICT, and Corporate Business settings in the Philippines and in the UK.
Senior SBC and Capacity Strengthening Technical Advisor
I am currently a Program Officer with the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP).
Prior to joining CCP, I managed public relations and outreach coordination for one of the first U.S. residential substance-abuse treatment centers for women and their children. In Southern Africa, I worked with national and district education partners to pilot a radio program that increased access to basic education for rural children and raised national awareness around HIV/AIDS prevention and care. I have also worked as a reporter: for the largest daily newspaper in Connecticut and for a mid-sized daily in southwest Florida, chronicling issues around growth and development, health, local politics, education and crime.
Thoko Mwapasa is Deputy Chief of Party for One Community, an HIV/AIDS combination prevention program in Malawi, under the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP). She has been working in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support programs for the past 15 years, using SBCC using mass and community media approaches. She has worked with and directly supported people living with HIV and other vulnerable populations like women, children and youth. She also has experience in food and nutrition as well as water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs. She is passionate about working with adolescent girls and young women, advocating to reduce gender inequalities that increase their vulnerability to HIV, and enabling them to protect themselves against infection. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Counseling Psychology and a Masters degree in Public Health (MPH).
I am a work in progress. Still aspiring to reach greater heights in my social, spiritual & academic life…
Curator of the Health COmpass.
From 1982-2004, I served as Deputy Chief of the JHU CCP Media/Materials Clearinghouse. From 2004-2007, I was the Senior Knowledge Management Advisor for JHU CCP. Master’s of Library Science, Columbia University.
