Egyptian Project Combines Channels to Reach Families
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The Mabrouk (“Congratulations”) booklet provides important health information to newlyweds across Egypt. Topics include caring for children and preparing for pregnancy and delivery.
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Combining mass media, interpersonal, and community-based communication channels can help maximize the effect of a BCC program (56, 98, 111, 136, 184, 200). The Mabrouk! (“Congratulations!”) Initiative of Egypt’s larger Communication for Healthy Living Project (CHL) is one that offers a comprehensive package of messages for young, married Egyptian couples through a variety of channels.
The Mabrouk! Initiative offers messages specifically on antenatal care, safe delivery, postpartum care (maternal and child health and family planning), and infant health. A multimedia campaign delivers the initiative throughout Egypt, while interpersonal and community approaches reinforce these messages in eight focal governorates (80, 82, 84).
Reaching millions through mass media entertainment-education. CHL, with several media partners, co-produces an entertainment-education TV variety show, Al Afdal (“The Best”). During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in 2004, 2005, and 2006, the show addressed various health themes in a segment for newlyweds. These segments featured call-in contests and on-location interviews with brides and grooms at their weddings in focal governorates. In Ramadan 2005 the weekly show featured messages concerning husband-wife communication, three-to-five-year birth spacing intervals, and positive gender roles. Also, once a month the show hosted on-location, newlywed events in focal CHL governorates for live audiences totaling almost 60,000. During the 2004 Ramadan daily broadcast, the show reached an estimated 15 million viewers. In 2005 the show was the most popular Ramadan TV program (82, 84).
Interpersonal communication with new mothers. Postpartum visits are an essential part of the Mabrouk! Initiative. Nurses visit the homes of postpartum women to discuss infant health and postpartum care for the mother. They encourage women to start family planning within 40 days after delivery. In 2005 and 2006 nurses conducted over 23,000 postpartum home visits in the eight governorates. Also, hospital staff delivered CHL messages and materials, including the Mabrouk Booklet, to over 130,000 postpartum women before they left hospitals. Almost 10% of new mothers in Egypt have received this booklet, which provides information about antenatal and postnatal care, breastfeeding, and family planning (84).
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In Egypt Tarek Allam, celebrity host of the television variety show Al Afdal (“The Best”), interviews a bride and groom before a live audience. The television show has reached millions of viewers with messages about husband-wife communication, birth spacing, and positive gender roles.
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Empowering communities. CHL works with local voluntary organizations, called community development associations (CDAs), to assess and address the health needs of their villages. In the first year of the program, CHL staff guided three CDAs through the early stages of carrying out the health program in their villages. These CDAs then paired with newer CDAs to share their knowledge and skills, thus building their capacity. More CDAs join the program each year. The community mobilization program started in seven villages in one governorate. By 2006 it had expanded to 120 villages in eight governorates, with a total population of about 500,000 (84). Through this effort, CDAs train outreach workers to assist nurses with the postpartum home visits. Outreach workers have helped nurses counsel over 1,700 women about maternal and neonatal health (39, 73, 84).
Monitoring and evaluation of CHL and of the Mabrouk! Initiative are ongoing using several national and local data sources. A national survey, called the Egyptian Health Communication Survey, provides information on audience exposure to different CHL program messages and on the effect of the program on behavior change (52). The Menya Village Health Survey, a panel study conducted in seven focal villages of the Menya governorate, monitors local implementation of CHL (53). These surveys and other program-specific studies will be used to measure outcomes, determine future needs, and redesign communication strategies and activities for improving the health status of Egyptians.
Photos: © 2004 Communication for Healthy Living Project
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