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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Impact Data - National WIC Breastfeeding Promotion Project - United States

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This Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) repositioned the traditional health benefits of breastfeeding to emphasize a new product benefit - familiar bonding from birth. Based on formative research, breastfeeding was identified as an embarassment and it was noted to conflict with active lifestyles. To reduce these obstacles and change the social context, a counseling programme was developed to help mothers work through individual constraints and programme materials - including three bilingual (English and Spanish) television commercials, three bilingual radio commercials, outdoor billboards, nine bilingual posters, nine bilingual educational pamphlets, and several information and resource guides and WIC staff kits - were developed.

Methodologies
Though there has not yet been a national study conducted to evaluate the results of the National WIC Breastfeeding Promotion Program in each of the ten pilot states, a summative evaluation of the programme's impact in the State of Iowa was completed, and several other pilot states are currently assessing their individual campaigns. Preliminary results from the Iowa study show evidence of the programme's success in both breastfeeding rates and changed attitude and awareness toward breastfeeding. The Iowa evaluation was based on the Ross Six Months Mothers' Infant Feeding Survey and a separate mail survey of WIC participants immediately before the campaign and four months afterward.
Practices
Prior to the start of the programme, breastfeeding rates for mothers in the state of Iowa while in the hospital had been 57.8 percent. Six months after the campaign's start, rates in Iowa increased to 64.4 percent; one year after the start they increased to 65.1 percent. The rates for women still nursing six months after birth also increased. Before the start of the campaign, the percentage of women still breastfeeding at six months was 20.4. Six months after the start of the campaign, rates increased to 29.3 percent, and to 32.2 percent a year later.
Attitudes
In the state of Iowa, pregnant women enjoyed increased support in their breastfeeding efforts as a result of this programme. This support came from:
  • their mothers (support increased from 35.2 to 53 percent);
  • husbands or boyfriends (support increased from 47.7 to 53 percent);
  • their friends or other relatives (support increased from 48.8 to 51.1 percent);
  • their prenatal health care providers (support increased from 62.4 to 83.8 percent); and - WIC employees (support increased from 81.9 to 92.5 percent).
Source
Social Marketing Institute site.