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Path 04 — Health & Behaviour Communication

Health & Behaviour
Communication

€34k→€95k+ Salary range NL
Growing International demand
Stable Future outlook
High Purpose alignment
Purpose-driven Public health Behaviour change Pharma & NGO Growing sector
01 — What this path is

Communication that saves lives

Health Communication is the most directly mission-driven application of Persuasive Communication. It applies behavioural science to one of the most important domains: getting people to make better decisions about their health.

The UvA programme specifically covers health communication campaigns and evaluation — making this path one of the most natural fits for graduates. You learn to design, test, and measure interventions that change real behaviour around smoking, vaccination, mental health, and physical activity.

The field spans public health institutions (RIVM, GGD), NGOs (KWF, Dutch Heart Foundation), pharma companies (Roche, J&J, AstraZeneca), digital health tech, and government communication. Post-COVID, demand for evidence-based health communicators has accelerated significantly.

The salary ceiling in this track is lower than commercial paths — but the opportunity for meaningful impact is the highest of all six paths. Many graduates who find purpose essential to their wellbeing thrive here and build internationally recognised careers.

UvA programme fit

"Health communication is explicitly part of the Persuasive Communication curriculum. UvA alumni are working at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Tony's Chocolonely (sustainability), and WHO affiliates. The department has active research partnerships with health institutions."

Post-COVID demand

The pandemic created a permanent appetite for evidence-based public health communicators. Governments, health ministries, and international organisations now actively invest in professionals who can translate behavioural science into effective campaigns.

02 — Career ladder

From campaign intern to Communication Director

00 During master's Health Comms / Campaign Internship €300–600/mo Year 1–2 MSc

What you own

  • Assist with health campaign development and evaluation
  • Literature review: what interventions work and why
  • Social media content for health campaigns
  • Stakeholder communication materials
  • Data collection for campaign measurement

Build this now

  • Behaviour change frameworks: COM-B, Health Belief Model, TTM
  • Intervention Mapping: the structured campaign design approach
  • Risk communication principles (WHO framework)
  • Academic literature review skills — you have these from UvA
  • Your thesis: make it a real health behaviour intervention study
RIVM GGD Amsterdam KWF Kankerbestrijding Trimbos Philips Health
Milestone — Leave your internship with A campaign evaluation report or a literature review that was actually used. If your thesis is a health intervention experiment, that's your portfolio centrepiece — academic credibility combined with practical application.
01 Junior Campaign Developer / Junior Health Comms Specialist €34k–44k 0–3 years

What you own

  • Design communication materials for health campaigns
  • Target audience research and segmentation
  • Channel strategy: which media reaches which group
  • Campaign monitoring and basic evaluation
  • Stakeholder liaison: GPs, health professionals, NGO partners

Build this level

  • Intervention Mapping methodology
  • GDPR in health data — essential for any healthcare-adjacent role
  • Health literacy: communicating complex medical info accessibly
  • Digital health platforms: patient portals, apps, wearables
  • Grant writing basics — crucial for NGO and government work
RIVM Trimbos Voedingscentrum Dutch Heart Foundation Roche NL
Milestone — Junior threshold You have designed and evaluated at least one campaign or intervention using your behaviour change frameworks. You can write a clear campaign brief that non-specialists can execute, and you can explain the evidence base behind every design decision.
02 Medior Health Communication Specialist / Programme Coordinator €46k–64k 3–6 years

What you own

  • Lead end-to-end health communication programmes
  • Coordinate multi-stakeholder campaigns (government + NGO + media)
  • Formative and summative campaign evaluation
  • Budget management for programme activities
  • Supervision of junior specialists or interns

Build this level

  • Grant writing and EU health funding applications
  • Theory of Change: connecting activities to outcomes
  • Digital behaviour change: apps, nudge technology, persuasive design
  • International health communication (WHO, ECDC frameworks)
  • Science communication: bridge research and policy
RIVM J&J NL AstraZeneca NL Philips Health WHO EURO
Milestone — Medior threshold You have led a full programme — from needs assessment through evaluation — and you can demonstrate measurable behaviour change. At this level, international opportunities (WHO, ECDC, global NGOs) become accessible.
03 Senior Senior Communication Strategist / Research Lead €64k–85k 6–10 years

What you own

  • Multi-year health communication strategy
  • Research agenda: which interventions to study next
  • Cross-departmental and cross-sector leadership
  • Scientific publications or policy white papers
  • International project coordination (EU, WHO-funded)

Companies & orgs at this level

  • RIVM — Senior Advisor Health Communication
  • WHO European Office — Programme Officer
  • Philips — Senior Health Communication Manager
  • Roche / AstraZeneca — Medical Affairs Comms
  • ECDC — Communication Specialist, Senior
04 Director Head of Communication / Programme Director €85k–120k+ 10+ years

What you own

  • All health communication for an institution or global programme
  • Strategic direction of a research and communication team
  • Government and international relations
  • Crisis communication during health emergencies
  • Policy influence: shaping national or EU health communication

NL & international examples

  • RIVM — Head of Crisis Communication: €85k–110k
  • Philips — Director Global Health Comms: €90k–120k
  • WHO EURO — Programme Director: €100k–140k (tax-exempt)
  • AstraZeneca NL — VP Medical Affairs: €110k–160k
  • Dutch Ministry VWS — Director Communication: €90k–115k
03 — Skills to build

The health communicator's toolkit

Behaviour Change Science
  • COM-B model
  • Intervention Mapping
  • Health Belief Model
  • Transtheoretical Model (TTM)
  • Self-Determination Theory
  • Protection Motivation Theory
  • Nudge design application
Research & Evaluation
  • Campaign evaluation design
  • SPSS / R (you have this)
  • Pre-post study design
  • Randomised Control Trials
  • Process evaluation methodology
  • Theory of Change frameworks
  • Health metrics: DALY, NNT basics
Communication & Strategy
  • Health literacy writing
  • Risk communication
  • Audience segmentation (health)
  • Multi-channel campaign planning
  • Crisis communication protocol
  • Science-to-policy translation
  • Infographic and visual health comms
Sector Knowledge
  • Dutch healthcare system (Zvw)
  • EU health policy framework
  • GDPR in health data
  • Grant writing (ZonMw, EU Horizon)
  • Pharma regulatory comms (EFPIA)
  • Digital health / mHealth apps
  • Wearables and health behaviour data
04 — Target organisations

Where to aim in health communication

Organisation Roles they hire Salary range Entry level
RIVM Health Comms Advisor, Campaign Developer, Crisis Comms €38k–€110k Junior → Director
Philips (Health) Health Comms Manager, Digital Health, Patient Engagement €52k–€120k Medior → VP
Roche Netherlands Medical Affairs Comms, Patient Advocacy, Market Access €55k–€130k Junior → Director
AstraZeneca NL Medical Affairs, Patient Comms, Health Education €52k–€120k Junior → VP
Johnson & Johnson NL Health Comms, Corporate Affairs, Patient Advocacy €50k–€115k Junior → Director
WHO European Office Communication Officer, Programme Officer, Consultant €55k–€140k* Junior → Director
GGD Amsterdam Campaign Coordinator, Health Promoter €36k–€70k Junior → Senior
KWF Kankerbestrijding Campaign Manager, Health Comms Specialist €38k–€75k Junior → Lead
Trimbos Institute Prevention Specialist, Research, Communication €36k–€80k Junior → Senior
Ministerie VWS Policy Officer, Campaign Manager, Comms Advisor €40k–€100k Junior → Director

* WHO salaries are tax-exempt for international posts, increasing effective take-home significantly.

05 — Path transfers

Where Health Communication connects

Health Communication → Consumer Insights The research methodology is identical — SPSS, surveys, experiments, qualitative interviews. Moving from health research to commercial insights is very common and the pay increase is significant. Kantar and Ipsos actively recruit from health research backgrounds. Easy
Health Communication → Corporate Communication Health communicators who develop strong stakeholder management skills often move into corporate affairs at pharma or MedTech companies. The intersection of science, regulation, and public trust is valuable in corporate comms. Easy
Health Communication → Sustainability Comms Behaviour change science applies equally to sustainable behaviour (recycling, diet, transport). Many health communicators move into sustainability roles, especially at companies with strong ESG programmes. The frameworks transfer directly. Very Easy
Health Communication → Digital Health / HealthTech The fastest-growing sub-sector. Companies building health apps, wearables, and AI diagnostics need communicators who understand both behaviour science and health contexts. Pays significantly more than traditional health organisations. Natural
Health Communication → PhD / Academic Research UvA's Communication Science faculty actively recruits graduates for PhD positions. If the research itself is the passion, academia is a real and well-supported option. UvA PhDs in health comms have strong international placement records. Supported
06 — Start now

What to do during your master's

01 — This month
Learn the COM-B model deeply
The COM-B behaviour change model by Michie et al. is the dominant framework in European health communication. Understanding it deeply — and being able to apply it — is the single most marketable skill in this field.
02 — This semester
Thesis as a health intervention study
Design your thesis around a real health behaviour — vaccination uptake, mental health help-seeking, dietary change. An experimental study with pre-post measurement is exactly what health institutes want to see from junior applicants.
03 — Internship target
RIVM, Trimbos or GGD Amsterdam
These are the gateway institutions. An internship at RIVM or Trimbos is highly regarded and connects you to the national health communication network. Applications open in September and February — plan ahead.
04 — Consider
ZonMw-funded research projects
ZonMw funds health communication research in the Netherlands. UvA faculty members often run ZonMw projects and need student assistants. Working on a funded project gives you publications, network access, and real campaign experience.
05 — Read this
Core reading list
Changing Health Behaviour (Abraham et al.) — Health Belief Model overview — The Persuasion Handbook (Dillard & Pfau) — Nudge (Thaler & Sunstein) — Intervention Mapping (Bartholomew et al.) — WHO Health Promotion Glossary.
06 — Connect
Join NVP / VVGN health communication network
The Dutch health promotion and communication networks hold regular events. Attending as a student is free or cheap, and it's how you meet the professionals who will eventually hire you. Be curious and ask good questions.
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