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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Health Communication (from Danida - Communication and Development Euro-American Donor Seminar)

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Presentation by Scott Ratzan, Senior Technical Adviser, USAID.

USAID has today increased its focus on communication, but there is still a tendency to give low priority to communication initiatives at the leadership level. Assistance from other donors could help to bring forward the idea that communication is important for development, according to Ratzan.

Today, USAID is working on the development of indicators to improve the monitoring and evaluation of health communication interventions. A scientific approach is being applied and emphasis is being put on including a range of factors, which determine and contribute to health, and hence not merely the medical system. Determinants include health polity, social economic and environmental influences and health behaviour and styles, including culture, beliefs, networks and norms.

USAID is thus moving away from the traditional focus on individual change behaviour to a holistic approach where the focus is placed on all the different environments (policies, social norms, physical environment, community and social environment etc.) that influence health.

Communication is viewed as central to influencing all the environments that contribute to health conditions and informed opinion and active co-operation is viewed as important in the improvement of health. Communication can help to show demands, needs and access with respect to health.

Ratzan additionally argued for increased investments in community communication and participation as opposed to investments in medical systems and infrastructure.

In general USAID health communication today aims to go beyond over-quantification and medical research and thus include communication strategies by applying an evidence based approach.

The strategies and targets proposed by USAID health communication include 3 steps or levels:

  1. Communication programmes at community level with focus on behavioural change,
  2. Country-level leadership to have the capacity to implement communication programmes and
  3. Integration of communication in larger campaigns.

The aim is to integrate the three steps/levels.

Ratzan additionally proposed that Communication Health Centres be established for the dissemination and gathering of knowledge and information. These should be linked to already existing institutions, like universities, and should be assisted by technical advisers to secure the quality of knowledge.