Summits - SBCC and C4D
Gathering in person to advance informed and engaged societies
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.
Time to read
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 12 years ago
Last updated 2 years ago
Read so far

The health benefits of social mobilization: experiences with community-based Integrated Management of Childhood Illness in Chao, Peru and San Luis, Honduras

0 comments

Harkins, T., C. Drasbek, et al. (2008). "The health benefits of social mobilization: experiences with community-based Integrated Management of Childhood Illness in Chao, Peru and San Luis, Honduras." Promotion & Education 15(2): 15-20.

Objective: This article reviews the implementation of the community component of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy in Chao, Peru (2001 to 2004) and San Luis, Honduras (2003 to 2005).

Methods: An evaluation was conducted in 2005 and included a project documentation review, key-informant interviews, and a household level baseline and follow-up survey of the WHO/UNICEF key family practices in each intervention site.

Results: The promotion of the key family practices in Chao and San Luís demonstrated measurable success. In comparison with the initial survey in 2002, the percentage of participant mothers ( N = 78) in Chao in 2004 who knew that they should breastfeed exclusively for at least six months increased from 33% to 94%; the presentation of complete vaccination records for one-year-old children increased by 19%; the recognition of danger signs for pneumonia increased 18% and for diarrhea by 8%; and the percentage of mothers who received four or more prenatal check-ups increased by 25%. A dramatic reduction in malaria cases was also attributed to the intervention in Chao. In San Luis, a quasi-experimental, random household sample ( N = 300) showed that the incidence of diarrheal disease among children under five years old declined by 18% between survey rounds (from 44% in August 2004 to 26% in December 2005).

Conclusion: Social mobilization has promoted inter-sector consensus-building around community health issues, especially those related to maternal and child health. The promotion of the participation of representatives from various organizations via the community IMCI social-actor methodology has led to increased civic cooperation. Positive changes in health behaviors have been documented through an increase in preventive health practices, greater demand for primary health care services, and concrete community actions to improve public health