HIV & AIDS

C-Change is working with USAID globally and USAID Missions in specific countries to develop innovative social and behavior change communication (SBCC) approaches to HIV prevention. C-Change is carrying out research that will inform approaches to preventing HIV. The program focuses on strengthening the capacity of country structures and local organizations (NGOs and others) to design and implement more effective evidence-based programming. The result will be local expertise that continues to build and endure.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the HIV epidemic is fueled by traditionally sanctioned multiple and concurrent partnerships (MCP) coupled with low condom use. Understanding the behavioral determinants and the social and cultural environment for these behaviors and developing comprehensive communication strategies to address these issues is key. The introduction of male circumcision into regions where it is not traditionally practiced to combat the spread of HIV is also creating communication challenges for HIV prevention.

C-Change is carrying out innovative formative research and undertaking monitoring and evaluation of country programs to understand the cultural and social drivers of the HIV epidemic.
 

Namibia

Strengthening the capacity of local PEPFAR-supported NGOs to implement effective social and behavior change communication and elevate the quality of HIV prevention activities at the community level is a focus of the work in Namibia.  Ad hoc communication activities focused only on information fall short of addressing the pressing behavior change communication challenges. C-Change is working to change this with evidence-based activities that use formative research, surveys, focus groups, and other tools for gathering data to guide implementation of BCC programming.

C-Change has developed, tested and applied the SBCC Quality Assessment Tool in Namibia. A facilitiator meets with an organization's management and staff to assess the strengths and weaknesses of an NGO’s SBCC skills across three areas: social and behavior change communication (SBCC) planning; program implementation; and research, monitoring and evaluation. A facilitator administers the tool to members of an organization and provides the scoring along with feedback, which serves as a baseline and identifies the gaps in the organization that require strengthening. The same tool can be administered at a later point to provide data that shows improvements in specific competencies and where additional work still remains. The tool can be downloaded from the C-Change website's  Resources page and adapted as needed by other users.

Lesotho

In Lesotho, C-Change is working with local partners to engage communities in dialogue and action on multiple concurrent partnerships (MCP) linked to the regional and national MCP OneLove mass media campaign. An innovative community networking approach will provide valuable lessons for broader HIV prevention communication.
 

Swaziland

C-Change is focused on networking and coordination in support of the national behavior change communication strategy in Swaziland, in conjunction with the National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA).
 

University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

C-Change is working with NGOs and national and regional institutions to build a critical mass of social and behavior change communication institutions and individuals. To that end, C-Change has partnered with the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa to develop and integrate a series of SBCC courses into their School of Public Health. Curricula is being developed for delivery in different venues—online, for use by staff in regional and local institutions to fill gaps in their knowledge, and face-to-face in the university classroom. The first courses will be offered beginning in late 2009.

C-Change is also engaged in the global discussion on social and behavior change communication for HIV prevention through participation in key global and regional expert consultations and working groups.