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.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Life Choices Campaign

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Life Choices is a nationwide family planning campaign that was launched in October 2001 in Ghana. The goal of the campaign is to increase the use of modern family planning methods in urban, peri-urban and rural areas, with particular attention to communities whose pharmacies and chemical shops sell Ghana Social Marketing Foundation (GSMF) brands and where other community-based service providers have a presence. Life Choices addresses single and married adults of lower socio-economic status, opinion leaders, and service providers.
Communication Strategies

The central message of Life Choices campaign is that “life is about making choices”. The project identified 3 levels of choices: life choice, baby choice, and method choice. Based on these core commitments, the campaign took off with an integrated interpersonal and mass media approach. In brief, it works with existing community-based organisations, key community leaders, and prominent members of local organisations to mobilise social support for family planning.

Radio, TV, and print media are used to reinforce key messages from the community-level intervention in the form of testimonials that highlight satisfied family planning users in an effort to correct misperceptions and expose misinformation.

To maximise effectiveness, the campaign designers worked to shift the perception of family planning as a population or health issue, re-positioning it to focus on the individual by giving it a socio-economic thrust. According to organisers, in an attempt to eliminate misconceptions and reduce the fear of side effects, GSMF provides potential users with a variety of family planning methods, and offers training to service providers to enable them to help clients make informed choices.

Development Issues

Family Planning.

Key Points

The objectives of the campaign were to:

  • increase awareness of the full range of modern contraceptives available to Ghanaian couples
  • increase social support for the use of modern contraceptive methods
  • decrease fear and misconceptions about modern contraceptive methods
  • help women understand and manage side effects, and
  • persuade eligible former users to use modern contraceptives.

Several programmes were developed to extend the Life Choices Campaign to address the specific needs and aspirations of groups being addressed in the community; programmes underway include: apprentice tailor and dressmakers’ programme, Muslim marriage counsellors’ programme, and marriage counsellors programme with churches.

Partners

Ghana Social Marketing Foundation (GSMF), Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs (CCP), Ministry of Media Relations, Ministry of Health (MOH), National Population Council, Ghana Registered Midwives Association, Engender Health, Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG).

Sources

GSMF website on November 24 2004.