The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative

After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. 

Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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BASICS Madagascar

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BASICS started in Nov. 1993 as a follow-up to a diarrheal disease control programme. In 1995, BASICS began a 3 yr. Phase that evolved to encompass the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), Information-Education-Communication (IEC), nutrition, the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), and community-based behaviour change programmes. BASICS main objectives include: building national capacity to develop and implement child survival and nutrition policies, developing district capacity to manage child survival programmes, and promoting sustainable behavior change for child survival at community and household levels.
Communication Strategies

Spearheaded the creation of the national IEC Task Force responsible for harmonizing messages across 10 health and family planning programmes. Assisted revision of national EPI policy and new nutrition policies to address child feeding and micro nutrient supplementation. Assisted in implementing 1997 & 98 National Immunization Days for polio eradication. Produced IEC kits around vaccination, ARI, breast-feeding, nutrition, diarrheal disease and malaria. Kits consisted of: counseling cards, news letters, radio spots, 4-6 suggested village theatre scenarios. Launched a school-to-community programme in 50 schools to disseminate health information.

Development Issues

Health, Nutrition, Child Survival, Child Rights.

Key Points

Madagascar is one of few countries in the world where infant mortality, child mortality and maternal mortality rates have not decreased in recent years. BASICS works at all levels of the health care system-national to community. Introduced IMCI to Madagascar - the first francophone country to undertake health worker training and the first to launch a community-based approach. Collaborates closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Partners

USAID Child Survival Partners - CARE, CRS, Peace Corps, UNICEF, MCDI, SALFA, ADRA.

Sources

Abstract sent to The Communication Initiative by BASICS Madagascar.