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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Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) - Somalia

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First rounds of immunisation in the Northeast Zone (NEZ) and second rounds of immunisation in the Northwest Zone (NWZ) of Somalia for children under 5 are performed by UNICEF immunisation teams.
Communication Strategies
Personal contact with Somali families was made by immunisation teams who went out into the villages of Bossaso, Garowe and Burtinle in the (NEZ) and Hargeisa, Las Anod and Burao towns in the (NWZ). UNICEF also conducted a 2-day EPI strategy review in Hargeisa "which drew 55 participants from all regions of 'Somaliland', as well as all NGOs involved in the health sector". New strategies were recommended to be implemented in 2002.
Development Issues
Health, Children, Rights
Key Points
UNICEF supported 3 mother and child health (MCH) clinics in Bossaso, Garowe and Burtinle where the first round of EPI services were delivered to 25 villages in June 2001. The second round of EPI was conducted in Hargeisa, Las Anod and Burao towns by 50 immunisation teams over 10 days. The goal was to immunise 32,000 children under the age of 5. After round one was completed in the Sahil region, 3,750 children had been immunised for a 65% coverage of the pre-registered children in Berbera town.
Partners

UNICEF, NGOs involved in the Health Sector

Sources

The UNICEF Somalia Review for July 2001 provided direct to The Communication Initiative