Aimed at pregnant women, parents and caregivers, Side-by-Side is South Africa’s first national ECD mass-communication campaign. It represents a significant shift in the government’s approach to maternal and child health services: from “just surviving” to “surviving and thriving”.
Side-by-Side is anchored in the Road to Health book, the physical health and immunisation record issued to all parents at the birth of their baby. Revised in 2017, the Road to Health book provides information on nutrition, responsive care, protection, healthcare, and extra care.
We have supported the National Department of Health in revising the Road to Health book and in the design and development of the Side-by-Side campaign, which accompanied the book’s relaunch.
Side-by-Side communicates with parents and caregivers via public radio (reaching 5.4 million listeners weekly in 10 official South African languages), social media groups, printed materials, posters, and other media. Market research conducted in 2023 revealed that Side-by-Side is noticeably influencing parents’ caregiving approaches, which has motivated the steady increase in the government’s investment in the campaign.
Side-by-Side is also increasingly informing the daily practice of public health workers and community-based workers. The long-term vision for this work is to ensure that caregivers receive supportive and helpful advice and referrals at every point of contact with the public health system.