Breakthrough ACTION is an eight-year USAID-funded global project that accelerates the use of social and behavior change (SBC) through evidence-based tools and processes that encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors, while addressing structural barriers and underlying social and gender norms that prevent uptake of services and positive health practices.
Breakthrough ACTION contributes to greater understanding and shared learning focused on if and how integrated programs—across health areas and sectors—support greater effectiveness of SBC programs and economies of scale.
Case Example: "Life is Previous, Take Care of It" National Family Health Campaign in Zambia
Breakthrough ACTION in Zambia spearheaded the Ministry of Health’s National Family Health Campaign, fostering a nationwide movement under the banner "Life is Precious. Take Care of It." By forging partnerships across sectors, the multi-channel campaign emphasized the potential of small healthy actions people can take to improve their health. The campaign touched on a variety of health areas, including maternal and child health, reproductive health, malaria prevention, HIV prevention, and nutrition. Wellness Days, particularly for adolescents and men, led to increased healthcare-seeking behavior and reduced stigma, demonstrating the efficacy of integrated SBC messaging.
Featured Video: Albishirin Ku! The Secret Sauce
Albishirin Ku!—a Hausa expression meaning good tidings—is a radio show where community voices and innovative storytelling converge to create lasting health and social impact. The show was designed and implemented using systematic social and behavior change approaches grounded in theory and with a deep understanding of the audience. Women exposed to the drama were significantly more likely to use a family planning method, attend antenatal care visits, deliver in a health facility, immunize their children, practice exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months, and incorporate diversity in their children’s diet.
Featured Resources
- Evaluating the Impacts of Cross-Sectoral Social and Behavior Change in Sahel/RISE II
- Expanding the "S" in Social and Behavior Change: Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity in SBC Programming
- MULTI-SBC: Programmatic Aid for Multisectoral Integration of Social and Behavior Change Programming
- Nigeria Flip Chart
- Sawa Le Baad: An Integrated Social and Behavior Change Strategy for Family Planning and Maternal, Newborn and Child
- Zoonotic Behavioral Research Assessments
Lessons Learned
- Successful integrated health and cross-sectoral programming requires planning, continuous coordination, and partner commitment.
- The success of any program hinges on an evidence-informed and collaboratively developed SBC strategy that identifies priority behaviors and addresses cross-cutting issues influencing behaviors across health areas. A unified brand can help to reinforce message interconnection, enhancing recall and understanding.
- Establishing effective One Health platforms necessitate investment in locally-led coordination structures, relationship building among stakeholders, leveraging diverse expertise, and employing a multi-faceted approach at individual, organizational, and systemic levels. Consistent access to resources, training and learning opportunities, and the development of annual action plans are critical for effective implementation.
- Using social and mass media, particularly radio, paired with interpersonal communication by community health workers, has proven effective in delivering integrated health messaging. Tailoring messages to specific life stages, focusing on families, and promoting gateway behaviors are effective strategies.
- Community health workers play a vital role in delivering integrated health information, often using print and digital tools for message reinforcement. By joining community health committee meetings CHWs can garner community support and enhance their impact.
Thought Leadership
- Balancing the uncertain and unpredictable nature of possible zoonotic disease transmission with the value placed on animals: Findings from a qualitative study in Guinea
- Evidence-Based Process for Prioritizing Positive Behaviors for Promotion: Zika Prevention in Latin America and the Caribbean and Applicability to Future Health Emergency Responses
- “I’d do it for my baby”: Lessons learned from qualitative research on COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant women in Côte d’Ivoire
- Perceptions of the COVID-19 Vaccine and Other Adult Vaccinations in Malawi: A Qualitative Assessment
This Adobe Express page is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Breakthrough ACTION and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
© 2024 Johns Hopkins University