Health communication for development : counting on communication to achieve behaviour change:

Abstract

This study begins by observing the paradox of a country endowed with plenty food supplies and a rising level of malnourished children below six years. Malnutrition, a condition that often results from not having enough food is a major health challenge that continues to plague Uganda s children. This thesis examines the Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Project (NECDP); a project funded by World Bank and the Ugandan government to deal with the malnutrition problem. The main aim of this study is to examine the role played by the NECDP communication strategies in reducing the levels of malnutrition through behaviour change of mothers breastfeeding and weaning practices. The evaluation is centred on the communication campaign goals, messages, channels, alternative strategies, planning and implementation of the project and the limitations to message adoption. Using theories of health, communication and development theories as guidelines for analysis; the study also integrates qualitative research methodologies in gathering and analysing data. The major findings of the study show that the NECDP communication intervention used a number of inappropriate channels to the rural mother who was the primary target audience of the project messages. The analysis also reveals that there were inherent weaknesses within the project planning and implementation structures and these limited the impact of the project s behaviour change goal. Conclusively, the study makes a few recommendations that provide a basis for improvement of future health campaigns.