This year’s International Behavior Change Communication summit, was held in Marrakesh, Morocco from December 5 to 9, With the focus to reflect on how what we have learned through the COVID-19 pandemic can inform and inspire us as we use SBCC to tackle other global challenges, most importantly those of disparity – be they disparities of wealth, health, access, gender or education.
As part of the IPPF’s flagship programme the #WISH2ACTION mission to make sexual and reproductive health and rights work for all and in particular to accelerate the flow of information and access of quality services to marginalized individuals and create agents of change within the communities, under the support from FCDO. UMATI took part in a number of events including a preformed panel organized by Development Media International (DMI) dubbed ‘Working at Scale Whilst Leaving No One Behind’ integrating above and below the line SBCC approaches within the WISH2ACTION consortium.
The panel had presenters from Uzazi na Malezi Bora Tanzania (UMATI), Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), Humanity Inclusion from South Sudan, DMI Uganda, IPPF hub. UMATI presentation was on reaching young people through the Special Youth Weekend Clinics model. The Special Youth Weekend Clinics model was integrated into the WISH2ACTION Tanzania in March 2021 and it has since demonstrated a significance change in youth reach by 80% compared to years prior its integration.
The analysis results from 5 facilities out of 15 that were conducting SYWC between March to August 2021 showed youth traction four times more compared to weekdays.
RHU presented on utilization of interpersonal communication in reaching people living in poverty, HI demonstrated disability inclusion in South Sudan, DMI highlighted demand creation strategies and partnership with Uganda health promotion unit, IPPF hub talked about the WISH2ACTION programme as a whole, focus, results and moderated the panel.
The Special Youth Weekend Clinic Model is a youth friendly approach designed to reach in and out of school young people with sexual and reproductive health and rights information and friendly services using context specific edutainment organized and mobilized by peer educators and community health workers.
The panel was moderated by Wanjiru Mathenge, SBCC Advisor, IPPF and included 5 presenters from three countries; Ssanyu Kalibbala: Country Operations Manager, DMI- Uganda; Dr. Richard Kabanda: Commissioner- Department of Health Promotion, Education and Health Communication, Ministry of Health, Uganda; Moses Okochi Wafula: SBCC Manager- Reproductive Health Uganda; Richard Ryaganda: Communications and Advocacy Specialist, UMATI; Julliet Ajok- SBCC Technical Advisor, Humanity and Inclusion
This year’s SBCC summit theme was catalysing transformational change on agendas of urgency interconnected in the lenses of; Climate crisis and global heating, Gender equity, Disparities in health and wealth, Global inequality, Humanitarian action.
