Topic Area: Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health

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Child Health Interactive Poster [Zambia]

Source: Malaria Consortium

Year of Publication:

2013

Malaria Consortium supported the Ministry of Health in rolling out an integrated community case management (ICCM) program in the Luapula province of Zambia from 2009 to 2012.

Formative research conducted on the onset of the ICCM program showed that having trained CHWs (community health workers) in place is not enough to change sick child care pathways. The health communication intervention combined the promotion of community health workers’ services (trained and equipped to diagnose and treat under-fives with fever, respiratory infections and diarrhea) and Community Dialogues providing communities with a platform to extensively discuss,

Visual materials included posters, a community dialogue guidebook, and this interactive poster and flash card set, all in the local language of Bemba. This tool was created to allow low-literacy care-givers to explore and discuss current and ideal care options in the event of childhood illness. The tool comprises a large-size poster featuring pathways (or routes) for a healthy baby to grow into a healthy school-age child, and a set of 30 colorful flash cards featuring various child conditions and care options.

During Community Dialogue sessions, facilitated by trained community members in collaboration with Community Health Workers (CHW), care-givers and key household decision-makers are asked to tell their story of what happened the last time their child was sick by placing the relevant cards along the pathway. Then, participants discuss the chosen pathway, exploring the benefits and risks of various care options, and reach an agreement on the right timing and provider for childhood illnesses as well as best prevention measures.

Monitoring and observation data show that the interactive poster and flash cards were instrumental and unanimously appreciated both by participants and community dialogues facilitators; facilitators noted that these materials made the animation of the session easier for them, as participants take ownership of the session and contribute with their story by placing the cards. Evaluation also showed that the community dialogue approach using these interactive visual materials allowed for the exploration of a topic through open discussion and filling knowledge gaps, correcting misconceptions around the three target diseases in children and possible causes.

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Breakthrough ACTION Zambia: Testimonial Videos

Source: Breakthrough ACTION/Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication:

2020

These three videos, featuring Bernard, a preacher, Norah a comunity health worker, and Chief Shabila, offer three different perspectives on the work of the Breakthrough ACTION Zambia project, and were created at the end of the project as part of the closing activities.

Each speaks about why he or she became involved in community health work, what they do for the community, and what it means to them.

Pastor Bernard Handabile Hamwwanza

Norah Mwashilowe

Chief Shabila Amos Mbulo

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BA Zambia Implementation Package: Provider Guidelines and Feedback

Source: Breakthrough ACTION/Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication:

2020

This package is part of a set of implementation packages designed by the Breakthrough ACTION Zambia team.

The provider guidelines and feedback package is designed to address the following behavioral challenge:

  • Some providers do not follow quality of care standards, including providing respectful care, when treating children under five for illness.

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BA Zambia Implementation Package: Men’s Wellness Days Toolkit

Source: Breakthrough ACTION/Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication:

2020

This package is part of a set of implementation packages designed by the Breakthrough ACTION Zambia team.

Men’s Wellness Days are an integrated design package to address the following problems:

  • Men want to avoid HIV but do not use condoms every time they have sex
  • Men who engage in risky sex do not regularly get • screened and tested for HIV
  • Men want to prevent malaria but do not sleep under insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) every night
  • Men do not participate in preventative or curative care for their children under five, including nutrition and care seeking for illnesses

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BA Zambia Implementation Package: Growth Monitoring Toolkits

Source: Breakthrough ACTION/Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication:

2020

This package is part of a set of implementation packages designed by the Breakthrough ACTION Zambia team.

This package is designed to address the following problems:

  • Mothers and caretakers do not follow the recommended guidelines for the complementary feeding of children between six months and two years.
  • Men do not participate in preventative or curative care for their children under five, including providing optimal nutrition.

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BA Zambia Implementation Package: Emergency Planning

Source: Breakthrough ACTION/Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication:

2020

This package is part of a set of implementation packages designed by the Breakthrough ACTION Zambia team.

The emergency planning activity is designed to address the following behavioral problem:

  • Some caretakers do not seek timely care at health facilities when their children under five experience symptoms of illness. Specifically, this design addresses the following behavioral barrier to caretakers seeking care for children, as identified through Breakthrough ACTION’s formative research and social and behavioral diagnosis process:
  • To avoid the hassle of going to the facility, many caretakers delay seeking care until they deem it necessary, yet they lack cues to determine when it is necessary.

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Community Communication MNCH e-Manual: Participatory Health Promotion Sessions

Source: Mannion Daniels, Ltd.

Year of Publication: 2016

This manual was developed for master trainers to train trainers who in turn train field implementers—health workers, health assistants, CBO health promoters and non-literate as well as literate community volunteers—to lead facility and community-based health promotion sessions.

The Community Communication Job Aids serve as supports for literate field implementers. Detailed instructions for participatory activities using innovative Community Communication tools are organized into health promotion sessions within chapters covering core health topics—maternal, newborn, child and family care.  Users can choose to adopt specific activities or sessions for integration into existing health promotion interventions or adopt the entire Community Communication intervention. 

The Community Communication tools are rote learning tools designed for groups of people to practice together so that they own key health decision-making information.  They include innovative SAY & DO activities, narrated mimes, food for thought demonstrations, standard health demonstrations and health songs with repetitive messages like “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”.   

The e-manual is envisioned as an evolving “open source” document available to all in its present version as well as in future versions with new health topics and up-dated health information.  The e-Manual activities were gathered during many field experiences over the years and refined and incorporated into the current version. 

An MS Word version of this resource can be acquired from  saradeon@yahoo.com.

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