Summits - SBCC and C4D
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Summits - SBCC and C4D
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Effective health education in rural Gambia

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Hoare, K., S. Hoare, et al. (1999). "Effective health education in rural Gambia." Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 45(4): 208-214.

Objective: We aimed to measure the impact of a structured health education programme on the incidence of infectious disease in young children of a rural Gambian village.

Methods: In a prospective intervention study, mothers of children under 3 years living in a rural West African village without running water (population 1600) were divided into two groups by site of residence. Group 1 (n = 70) received a fortnightly education talk on hand-washing acid skin hygiene, and group 2 (n = 84) on family planning. The incidence of infectious skin and diarrhoeal, eye, and respiratory diseases were recorded at the clinics attended by all children.

Results: The mean incidence of skin infections in the children of mothers of group 1 (1.07) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that of group 2 (1.59) during the rainy season. Between 1981 and 1994 the incidence of skin, diarrhoeal, and eye disease showed a statistically significant (p < 0.0001) decline following the implementation of the health education programme. There was no statistical significance in the trend for respiratory disease, the incidence of which would not be expected to be affected by hygiene education. Focused health education had a sustained beneficial effect on the health of young children living in conditions where infectious diseases and poor hygiene are common.