Guide for Integrating Gender into Social and Behavior Change Programming

This guide provides information and practical tools to help program implementers better understand how gender norms and roles may impact SBCC interventions, and how to integrate gender into SBCC programs to increase effectiveness. It provides key gender concepts, useful frameworks and a series of checklists/tools that can be applied to integrate gender into an SBCC strategy and SBCC program approaches.

This guide is intended for SBCC program managers, planners and other professionals involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of Health Communication and SBCC programs. The guide is designed to be useful for those who are new to gender integration, as well as those who have been working on gender and SBCC programming and are seeking ways to deepen their skills.

Source: Communication for Health Ethiopia

Date of Publication: February 6, 2020

Stopping a Killer: Preventing Malaria In Our Communities. A Guide to Help Faith Leaders Educate Congregations and Communities About Malaria

An interfaith sermon guide for Christian and Muslim leaders to provide a series of sermons about malaria prevention.

The guide emphasizes the influence that faith leaders have among their congregations and communities. The guide urges faith leaders to help families to protect their health by giving them information to make the right choices. There are sample sermons in this guide, and introductions to each sermon, which provide background information.

The guide offers Six Messages to Fight Malaria and Save Lives:

  1. All people in a household should sleep under a long-lasting insecticide-treated net, especially pregnant women and children under five years, since they are the most vulnerable to malaria
  2. Pregnant women must take two doses of anti-malarial medicine as prescribed by a healthcare provider
  3. Be receptive to local initiatives to spray the inside or outside of homes, as this also prevents malaria
  4. It is important to recognize the symptoms of malaria and to seek treatment as soon as possible at a health facility
  5. Follow treatment guidelines as directed by health facility staff and complete the full course of treatment to ensure malaria is cured and does not become resistant to medication
  6. Keep a clean environment, so mosquitoes cannot breed – clear standing water and clean up trash around your property

Source: Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty, IMA World Health

Date of Publication: December 22, 2019

IPC Training Aid Video and User’s Manual

The Nepal Family Health Program (NFHP-I) was a six-year (2002-2007) bilateral activity of United States Agency for International Development, Nepal (USAID/N) with the Government of Nepal. Its overall goal was to support the Government’s long-term goal of reducing fertility and under-five mortality within the context of the National Health Policy and Second Long-Term Health Plan 1997-2017. .

This interpersonal communication audio visual training aid and user’s manual was created to complement and supplement the national Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHV) Training Curriculum. The objective of the A/V training aide was to reinforce the content of IPC training sessions by demonstrating standard and effective IPC skills. The specific objectives were:

  • To help FCHVs understand the importance of IPC skills and practicing the skills in their work
  • To demonstrate FCHVs with standard, appropriate and consistent skills in IPC

The User’s Manual was developed for the users of the IPC training video, primarily for the trainers who conduct the FCHV basic and refresher training.

The total length of the A/V training aide is 30 minutes and the characters used in the video are imaginary. In this video, FCHVs portraying three different geographical areas – Terai, Hills and Mountains.

The IPC training video can be found here.

The User’s Manual can be found here.

Source: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/ Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: December 11, 2019

Group Facilitation Training Aid Video and User’s Guide

The Nepal Family Health Program (NFHP-I) was a six-year (2002-2007) bilateral activity of United States Agency for International Development, Nepal (USAID/N) with the Government of Nepal. Its overall goal was to support the Government’s long-term goal of reducing fertility and under-five mortality within the context of the National Health Policy and Second Long-Term Health Plan 1997-2017.

In response to the identified need for improved group facilitation skills of female community health volunteers (FCHVs) and other group facilitators, and upon request of National Health Training Center (NHTC), Department of Health Services (DHS), under the Ministry of Health and Nepal Family Health Program-I (NFHP-I/JHU/CCP team provided technical assistance to NHTC in designing and implementing an A/V training on group facilitation.

The purpose of the video was to enhance group facilitation skills of the FCHVs and other grass roots level facilitators in order to reduce gaps and enable them conduct most effective meetings at the community.

The specific objectives include:

  • To equip group facilitators with standard, appropriate and consistent skills on group facilitation based on existing best practices
  • To enable group facilitators to conduct community group meeting more interactive, participatory, interesting and regular.

The A/V training aid contains important elements of an effective group facilitation which starts with preparation for group meeting followed by role play to demonstrating the standard steps and appropriate skills of group facilitation. All the pieces are tied together with a simple and easily understandable narration and was accompanied by an interactive ‘Users Guide’ to be used by trainers while conducting training on group facilitation. The users guide contains tips for the trainers on how to use this training aid in a comprehensive session also with relevant question answers segment and cases for role play. The training aide can also be used as a standalone piece to demonstrate the steps and skills for facilitating a group discussion effectively.

This product has been integrated into the FCHV’s basic and refresher training particularly to complement and supplement the training session on Mother’s Group Meeting. It has also been used by other stakeholders who are primarily involved in conducting group activities on health such as World Education Inc., Support to Safe Motherhood Programme (SSMP) and its implementing partners.

Source: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/ Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: December 11, 2019

FP Method Comparative Effectiveness Flex and Guideline

The Nepal Family Health Program (NFHP-I) was a six-year (2002-2007) bilateral activity of United States Agency for International Development, Nepal (USAID/N) with the Government of Nepal. Its overall goal was to support the Government’s long-term goal of reducing fertility and under-five mortality within the context of the National Health Policy and Second Long-Term Health Plan 1997-2017.

This client-focused job aid/wallchart on Comparative Effectiveness of Family Planning Contraceptive Methods and its accompanying use guideline were produced and disseminated in all Core Program District (CPDs) health facilities of NFHP. They were used by community health workers during FP counseling and service to make their work more effective.

In the chart, all the contraceptive method pictures are indicated based on its effectiveness and included are some important reminders for the counselor to relay to the clients during the session. The wall chart to be hanged or posted on the wall where community health worker can easily see it and ute it during FP counseling.

Source: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/ Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: December 11, 2019

Message Guide for Zika Communication

he Message Guide for Zika Communication is a practical tool meant to be used by all partners and stakeholders implementing Zika activities in Jamaica.

Adapted from Strategic Communication for Zika Prevention: A Framework for Local Adaptation, the Message Guide aims to identify priority audiences and objectives for Zika communication at this point in Jamaica’s Zika response, and establish compelling positioning statements, outline key messages, and suggest communication approaches and activities for each audience. The Message Guide supports country efforts to ensure that messages are technically accurate, consistent across communication channels, responsive to the specific gaps identified in the situation analysis, and targeted to the agreed upon priority audiences.

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Jamaica Ministry of Health

Date of Publication: July 16, 2019

Pocket Booklet: Champions, Change Agents, and Positive Male Role Models

This booklet serves as a one-stop resource for all key facts and messages on all the topics covered in the Facilitator’s Guide for Community Dialogue.

HIV Champions, Change Agents, and Positive MRMs are not expected to memorize all information related to HIV prevention, testing, or treatment. Instead, they are encouraged to take this booklet with them when they do their community meetings and provide advocacy as a reference to pass standard but high-level messages. Some illustrations and pictures are included for simplicity. All cultural communications cadres are encouraged to use this Pocket Booklet during meetings, advocacy activities, and any HIV-related conversations in the community.

Source: USAID

Date of Publication: April 18, 2019

Radio Drama Discussion Group Facilitator’s Curriculum

This is a document developed to guide the facilitator of the radio listners group. The group is made up of artisans in the community and other community members who come together on particular day to listen to the NUHRI radio program.

Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: March 25, 2019

Selection of Safe and Effective Antimalarial Medicines

This webpage provides links to the two documents that antimalarial medicine procurement should be based on: the WHO guidelines for treatment of malaria and the WHO model list of essential medicines.

It also contains more information on the WHO Prequalification Program, as well as recommended procurement practices.

Source: World Health Organization

Date of Publication: March 25, 2019