US-based Partners
CARE | Internews | Ohio University | University of Washington, I-TECH
CARE
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and operates over 200 health projects in 50 countries. Over 90% of its staff are local. Multi-sector responses and strategic partnerships are key strategies CARE employs to expand the reach of comprehensive RH and HIV/AIDS programs.
Ethiopia
CARE launched C-Change program activities in East Shoa, Oromiya Region of Ethiopia in September 2009. At the request of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, CARE is using its community dialogue approach called Community Conversations to address malaria prevention and control. Introduced by CARE to Ethiopia in 2003 around HIV prevention activities, the Community Conversations approach addresses the social factors that influence community behaviors. CARE is incorporating the Essential Malaria Actions and associated malaria materials already developed by C-Change/Ethiopia into their activities in East Shoa.
Zambia
In Zambia, CARE is carrying out a baseline survey with a focus group component to identify barriers to family planning uptake using CARE’s Social Analysis and Action (SAA) exercises. The results will provide the basis for the design of behavior change communication messages and activities in Zambia’s Lundazi district. In addition, CARE is conducting a series of trainings of providers and community health workers on family planning with a couples’ counseling component.
DR Congo
In the DRC, CARE is leading the community-level SBCC effort for C-Change by providing hands-on technical support to organizations and training staff. Specifically CARE is strengthening the SBCC programs while working with the two main USAID partners who have been charged with rebuilding the health services in 82 health zones in the DRC. Efforts are focused on reproductive health and family planning, maternal and child health, tuberculosis and malaria. CARE/C-Change is providing training to health providers, local government staff involved in community education, and relais (volunteer community health promoters) on SBCC strategic planning and implementation. In addition, CARE provides technical support on the design and implementation of community interventions and is working with the project’s leadership in Kinshasa to improve the strategic approach to SBCC overall.
Internews
Internews is an advocacy and training institution that promotes media independence and open communications policies to support democratic reform and tolerance. Internews works cross-sectorally in 23 countries to inform the public, create alternative formats and programming to increase information access, and improve legal environments for media.
Internews is designing an instructor-facilitated online/distance learning course on media monitoring of relevant health and development issues, i.e., HIV/AIDS, family planning, and malaria. The course aims to develop competencies and strengthen local capacity for the design of monitoring and evaluation tools and processes for systematic tracking of media coverage of health and development issues, and use of data to design and implement strategies for improved media coverage. This course is intended for media and communication staff and/or any development specialist in government and non-governmental organizations responsible for promoting accurate media coverage of relevant issues that may contribute to the achievement of health and development goals.
Ohio University
Ohio University offers interdisciplinary education in planning and administering communication projects across many sectors including health, environment, and agriculture. OHIO’s team-building and active learning models build individual and institutional capacity in communication.
For C-Change, Ohio University coordinates the overall implementation of capacity building and strengthening activities with a focus on the development of critical competencies for social and behavior change communication (SBCC). Ohio University is collaborating with C-Change partners-- AED, I-TECH, Soul City, Internews, the CFSC, and the Communication Initiative. Ohio University has worked on the design and implementation of a training package that includes face-to-face (together with C-Change headquarters), instructor-led, and self-paced online training courses in SBCC.
Online SBCC training modules
The online modules use the SBCC Learning Package content and are offered as 1) a facilitated course, and 2) a self-paced course. For additional information see http://www.ouwb.ohiou.edu/c-change/default.asp.
It has contributed to the establishment of a Center of Excellence in social and behavior change communication at the University of Witwatersrand in Southern Africa. Further activities include the design of an online resource center with Communication Initiative that supports training, mentoring and coaching of trainers/faculty/facilitators/ students; the development of a curriculum with I-TECH for short-term in-service training for frontline health workers; and the establishment of regional capacity building initiatives. Ohio University also supported competency-based capacity assessments in Namibia and is supporting capacity building activities in Nigeria.
University of Washington, I-TECH
I-TECH, University of Washington is a global AIDS training program that works with governments and over 100 NGOs in 25 countries to scale-up ARV treatment, reduce stigma, produce educational materials, and integrate AIDS care with other health and development needs.
I-TECH has developed a five-module training curriculum that addresses the need for short-term in-service training to introduce frontline health workers (health workers who directly interact with patients) in the developing world to the practice of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) and to transfer skills these workers need to effectively support SBCC efforts. The curriculum is generic, (i.e., not tailored to a specific country, cadre of health worker, or health topic) and addresses gender and cultural diversity issues. It has been designed as a flexible curriculum that will be adapted to the particular needs of local partners such as supporting a launch of a new SBCC campaign or supporting general health worker efforts. The modules can be used separately to address specific gaps in competencies and skills or together as a five-day comprehensive training. In addition, the content can be expanded to include more in-depth training on specific health topics.
