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Harnessing strategic communications to promote caregiver behavioural change
Ilifa’s partnership with the National Department of Health (DoH) to deliver and expand the Side-by-Side communications campaign is a critical mechanism to provide relevant ECD information to primary caregivers and support caregiver agency. Given its extraordinary reach and unique access to primary caregivers across the country, Side-by-Side is both a pathway to improving access to information and demand for services, as well as a platform for dialogue through which ECD services are evaluated and bottom-up accountability is bolstered.
The challenge
Very young children (0-2 years), pregnant women, new mothers and caregivers– for whom care happens at home – are underserved in the current ecosystem. Barring the time that women and babies spend in clinics (only 20 out of the child’s first 1,000 days of life), families receive little support in these early years. Yet this period is critical for the well-being of both mother and child, as well as for children’s future development. Our early research showed that children’s home environments could moderate the impact of even the best-designed programming; children who were malnourished or under-developed benefited less from early learning programmes, suggesting the need to support parents and caregivers in the home as a critical lever for improved ECD outcomes. Caregivers in poor households also suffer a huge information imbalance; lacking access to critical ECD information and resources when compared to their wealthier counterparts.
Timeline of activities
- Ilifa initiated a national campaign called #LovePlayTalk that communicated the importance of the caregiver in ECD, and encouraged simple practical actions: love, play, and talk.
- Drawing on lessons from #LovePlayTalk, Ilifa led the development and launch of SA’s first ECD-focused national communication campaign, Side-by-Side. Aimed at pregnant women and caregivers, Side-by-Side is championed by the DoH. The campaign represents a significant readjustment in the government’s approach to maternal and child health services: a shift from survive to survive and thrive.
- Side-by-Side relaunched the Road to Health Book - a physical health record issued to all newborns. The content scope of the revised edition extends beyond a health record to act as a valuable knowledge source for caregivers.
- Side-by-Side launched its radio drama shows broadcasting weekly on 11 radio stations.
The big shifts
- Side-by-Side has shifted power in the ECD ecosystem, empowering poorer families, who do not have access to ECD information, with resources to support their caregiving and choice-making. The campaign’s central message to caregivers is: ‘You are central to your child’s nurturing, care, and protection – and their lifelong health outcomes. Your health worker is there to support you.’
- The campaign is recognised globally as a best practice for country approaches to rolling out the World Health Organisation’s Nurturing Care Framework.
- 1.3mn copies of the Road to Health Book are distributed annually.
- By December 2023, Side-by-Side radio shows reach over 5.4mn South African listeners weekly.
- Due to the success of the first two seasons, the DoH invested an additional R4.5mn for the 2022/2023 period.
- Side-by-Side developed a caregiver support pamphlet available in 11 African languages (1 million copies printed and distributed nationally) and manuals and training packages on the Road to Health Book for healthcare workers and ECD practitioners.
Crossing the bridge
Ilifa will continue to engage with the government and Grow Great amongst other partners to provide caregiver support during pregnancy and the first 1,000 days through the Side-by-Side campaign.
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