Language: English

View Resource

More Health Equity Resources

Expanding the “S” in SBC: Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity

Re-evaluating traditional social and behavior change frameworks, this technical document highlights how prioritizing social factors addresses structural health inequities. The resource outlines methodologies for incorporating social determinants of health into social and behavior change strategies, moving beyond individual behavior to encompass community-level systems and social conditions. It examines how systemic discrimination, economic inequality, and environmental barriers impact health outcomes, offering guidance for program adaptation. Practitioners, program managers, and policy makers can utilize this framework to design inclusive health interventions that advance health equity for vulnerable populations.

Recent Webinars

Why Do We Need to Elevate the S in SBC to Improve FP/RH Outcomes?

This webinar made the case for explicitly considering and addressing equity and social determinants of health in social and behavior change programming for family planning and reproductive health.

How Can SBC Programming Address Equity and Social Determinants of Health?

This webinar focused on how social and behavior change programming is well suited to addressing equity and social determinants of health in family planning/reproductive health.

How can Incorporating Social Accountability Into SBC Improve Equity?

This webinar focused on social accountability as a critical process that can be further leveraged across social and behavior change programming to address equity and social determinants of health to shape and influence family planning and reproductive health outcomes.

Last modified: July 26, 2026

Language: English

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2022

Topic Areas

Share this Article





View Resource

More Family Planning and Reproductive Health Resources

The Road to Equity in Family Planning: Incorporating the Social Determinants of Health

Highlighting the intersection between structural factors and healthcare access, this technical resource provides a practical framework for integrating the social determinants of health into voluntary family planning programs. The document outlines how underlying socio-economic conditions, educational attainment, gender dynamics, and geographic barriers shape individual health choices and access to quality care. It presents operational strategies for program planners to design equitable behavioral interventions that address root systemic inequities alongside individual behavior change. SBC practitioners, global health advocates, and policy makers can utilize these insights to foster health equity and ensure voluntary family planning services reach underserved populations.

RELATED RESOURCES

Expanding the “S” in SBC: Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity [ENGLISH / FRANÇAIS]

Intentionally Incorporating the Social Determinants of Health into SBC Programming for FP [ENGLISH / FRANÇAIS]

Measuring Equity in SBC Programming for FP and SRH [ENGLISH]

Last modified: July 26, 2026

Language: English

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2023

Topic Areas

Share this Article





View Resource

More Family Planning and Reproductive Health Resources

Nigeria Life Stage Flipchart

This Life Stage Flipchart was developed by Breakthrough ACTION in Nigeria. It guides community volunteers in facilitating engaging conversations between men and women about family planning/reproductive health throughout every life stage to ensure their families stay healthy and thrive.

Last modified: July 26, 2026

Language: English

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2021

Topic Areas

Share this Article





View Resource

More Behavioral Economics Resources

Together We Decide: A Game for Building Health and Harmony Within Families

In South Sudan, Breakthrough ACTION adapted a game designed by ideas42 and IntraHealth for use in Uganda to create “Together We Decide.” Using behavioral design theories, “Together We Decide” creates a safe space for participants to learn and discuss how to build health and harmony within their families. The game is designed to increase male engagement in the family planning process and build familiarity with child spacing methods while allowing couples to explore the outcome of various child spacing choices and gain comfort in discussing these topics within the family and with health workers. The game encourages participants to consider how child spacing methods might help them achieve their goals for their family and to make choices together for their families.

Objectives

  • Provide accurate health information on family planning to men and women.
  • Redefine roles and norms around decision-making and participation.
  • Demonstrate equitable communication and decision-making around family planning.
  • Encourage couples to seek advice on family planning from health care providers.

Resources

Game Guide [PDF]

Game Cards [PDF]

Child Spacing Planning Card [PDF]

Last modified: July 26, 2026

Language: English

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2024

Topic Areas

Share this Article





View Resource

More Community Engagement Resources

Ten Lessons Learned from Breakthrough ACTION’s SBC for FP/RH Programs

Social and behavior change (SBC) is an essential component in achieving global development goals, including family planning (FP). SBC is a discipline that uses a deep understanding of human and societal behavior and evidence-based interventions—such as mass media, community group engagement, and interpersonal communication—to increase the adoption of healthy behaviors and influence the social norms that underpin those behaviors. Living up to the international community’s commitment to achieving universal access to reproductive health (RH) by 2030—including FP information and services—requires an understanding of the barriers to modern contraception use and what can facilitate that usage. FP programs need to consistently and systematically apply a behavioral lens to identify barriers and facilitators and implement strategically designed SBC interventions.

Since it was launched in 2017, Breakthrough ACTION has implemented a wide array of activities to improve FP outcomes, including both global and regional level advocacy, technical assistance, and capacity strengthening, as well as the country-level implementation of SBC campaigns and solutions.

This overview brief (English | French) shares the top ten key learnings from the project’s work on SBC for FP. Three complementary briefs dive into the details and project examples of these lessons learned and provide recommendations to implementing partners, governments, and donors looking to improve their SBC for FP/RH programming.

The three complementary briefs are:

  • Going Beyond Engagement: Community-Centered Social and Behavior Change for Family Planning and Reproductive Health Programming (English | French)
  • Strengthening Social and Behavior Change for Service Delivery: Tailoring Interventions for Different Stakeholders in Family Planning and Reproductive Health (English | French)
  • Ensuring Effective Partnerships and Coordination for Social and Behavior Change for Family Planning and Reproductive Health (English | French)

Last modified: July 26, 2026

Language: English, French

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2022

Topic Areas

Share this Article





View Resource

More Capacity Strengthening Resources

Producing and Managing an SBC Mass Media Campaign

Providing a step-by-step operational guide, this practical toolkit equips public health practitioners and media managers to design, produce, broadcast, and monitor effective social and behavior change mass media campaigns. The resource grounds campaign creation in behavioral theory, audience insights, and rigorous pre-testing to ensure that creative content achieves meaningful programmatic impact. It features adaptable blank templates, detailed execution instructions, real-world campaign examples, and a campaign development Gantt chart to streamline time-intensive vendor contracting and production timelines. Strategic planners and creative agencies can leverage these gold-standard protocols to guide media production and align complementary community-level communication channels.

Last modified: July 26, 2026

Language: English

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2025

Topic Areas

Share this Article





View Resource

More Capacity Strengthening Resources

How to Mobilize Communities for Health and Social Change

Adapting the traditional Community Action Cycle to incorporate elements of Partnership Defined Quality, this comprehensive package offers a hybrid model for community mobilization in South Sudan. The approach brings local populations and health service providers together to jointly identify, prioritize, and solve barriers to accessing reproductive health and family planning services. The resource collection features a detailed facilitator manual, a participant workbook, and three specialized implementation toolkits designed for field mobilization teams. Program managers, trainers, and community leaders can utilize these practical guides to build local capacity, foster social accountability, and drive sustained normative change.

Resources:

Mobilizing Communities for Health and Social Change: Facilitator Manual [PDF]

Mobilizing Communities for Health and Social Change: Participant Manual [PDF]

Toolkit One: Community Entry and Organizing for Collective Action [PDF]

Toolkit Two: Communities Defining the Issues, Exploring Strengths, and Setting Priorities [PDF]

Toolkit Three: Communities Develop Local Solutions [PDF]

Last modified: July 26, 2026

Language: English

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2024

Topic Areas

Share this Article





View Resource

More Emergency Preparedness Resources

Unlocking Behavioral Insights to Prevent Outbreaks through the Zoonotic Behaviors Survey

Providing a modular data collection framework, this technical brief presents the Zoonotic Behaviors Survey designed to capture critical behavioral insights around animal to human disease transmission. The survey instrument fills an essential research gap by offering adaptable tools that measure risk perception, prevention practices, and human-animal interaction patterns. Program teams and public health agencies can leverage these standardized surveys during baseline evaluations, outbreak preparedness initiatives, and routine surveillance. With real-world implementation insights from Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire, the resource demonstrates how behavioral evidence strengthens national One Health frameworks and global health security strategies.

Last modified: July 23, 2026

Language: English

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2025

Topic Areas

Share this Article





View Resource

More One Health and Infectious Diseases Resources

Rabies Job Aid for Sierra Leone Health Workers

Designed as a practical reference tool for frontline medical personnel in Sierra Leone, this job aid guides healthcare providers through clinical protocols for managing suspected rabies exposure from dog bites. The resource details sequential steps covering immediate wound care, vaccine referral procedures, and mandatory case reporting guidelines in alignment with national health standards. It equips clinical staff with tailored patient counseling points on post exposure prophylaxis and emphasizes collaborative linkages between human and animal health workers. Health facility managers and frontline personnel can utilize this tool to strengthen integrated disease surveillance and advance progress toward eliminating dog-mediated human rabies.

Last modified: July 23, 2026

Language: English

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2025

Topic Areas

Share this Article





View Resource

More Emergency Preparedness Resources

Nigeria Multi-Hazard Risk Communication Guidelines

Establishing a standardized national framework, these comprehensive guidelines strengthen public health emergency preparedness and response across Nigeria. The document provides multi-hazard protocols for addressing infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and health crises through evidence-based risk communication and community engagement strategies. Grounded in a One Health approach, it defines coordination structures, institutional roles, social listening procedures, and behavioral science principles to foster public trust and community resilience. Public health officials, emergency response agencies, and program managers can utilize these national guidelines to harmonize messaging and implement effective, proactive health communication interventions.

Last modified: July 23, 2026

Language: English

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Year of Publication: 2023

Topic Areas

Share this Article