LONDON — Grayling has won two competitive briefs focused on addressing some of the most pressing issues in health: malaria and young people's future health prospects.

The United Nations Office for Project Services has chosen Grayling as its worldwide communications agency for the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. Grayling will provide global communications counsel and support for the partnership, the global platform for co-ordinated action against malaria by more than 500 partners, including endemic countries, private companies, non-profits and research organisations.

The agency’s remit for the one-year brief includes communications activity designed to encourage more action by international stakeholders to combat malaria, as well as promoting World Malaria Day 2018.

Meanwhile, UK charity the Health Foundation has also hired Grayling, on a nationwide brief to develop a communications strategy for its upcoming inquiry into young people’s health prospects. The inquiry will look at the factors that lead to good long-term health outcomes as young people transition into adulthood.

Both accounts will be led by Grayling’s specialist health team in London. Kathryn Ager, Grayling’s head of health, told the Holmes Report: “We’re really excited about both projects. For the malaria work, which is based in Geneva, we’ll be reporting to the global steering committee. One of the reasons they chose us was our two years working for the World Heart Federation.”

Xenya Scanlon, manager of the strategic communications partner committee at the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, confirmed that Grayling was chosen based on its international health experience and said: “We are looking forward to working with Grayling to help realise our vision of a malaria-free world.”

Regarding the Health Foundation account, Ager told the Holmes Report: “My team has a lot of experience working with NHS trusts, health charities and professional associations in the UK. The Health Foundation has been traditionally focused on the acute area, including hospital funding, but this is a new area for them as the enquiry will be looking at social determinants such as housing, employment and family relationships, so they need to talk to a whole new group of audiences they haven’t traditionally engaged with in the broader public health space."

Jenny Cockin, the Health Foundation’s assistant director of communications, added: “Our inquiry into young people’s future health prospects is a major piece of work that we hope will help shape the national policy debate. Grayling’s understanding of the health landscape convinced us they were the right agency. We are excited about working with them to ensure the enquiry engages effectively.”

Ager said Grayling’s health team was also about to launch its latest campaign for the Care Quality Commission around choosing adult social care.