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  • Title: Reaching mothers in Swaziland: preliminary findings of a child survival program.
    Author: Hornik R, Sankar P.
    Journal: Dev Commun Rep; 1985; (51):7-9. PubMed ID: 12340545.
    Abstract:
    The Swaziland Diarrheal Disease Control campaign, a collaboration of the Ministry of Health of Swaziland, the Combatting Childhood Communicable Diseases project, and the Agency for International Development (AID) Communication for Child Survival (HEALTHCOM) Project, was based on earlier work in Swaziland as well as the previous health communications programs in Honduras and Gambia. As in the other programs, it relied on a combination of mass media and face-to-face channels in an effort to change practices related to the treatment of diarrheal disease. The preparatory phase of the campaign was initiated in April 1984; the formal campaign ran from September 1984 through March 1985. The campaign involved 3 components: radio programs to be developed in an intensive radio workshop and broadcast on current development programs carried on the national radio system; printed materials including a flyer with mixing instructions and posters for display at health clinics and elsewhere; and workshops to train the health staff, other extension personnel, and local volunteers in treatment of diarrheal diseases, including use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) for dehydration. The campaign focused on a few objectives, specifically: acceptance of a home-mixed water/sugar/salt (WSS) solution as a treatment for diarrheal dehydration; continued feeding during episodes of diarrhea; and feeding with special foods after diarrheal episodes. The campaign particularly emphasized the introduction of a new formula for mixing the solution -- 1 liter of water, 8 soda bottlecapfuls of sugar, and 1/2 capful of salt. The evaluation reveals preliminary results suggesting that the campaign achieved noteworthy success, particularly in rates of adoption of recommended practices. Data sources included before and after campaign surveys, each with 450 rural mothers chosen through national random sampling procedures, and a diarrheal disease registry kept by 20 clinics which listed more than 10,000 children during the course of the campaign. 9 of every 10 mothers reported having had contact with at least 1 of the selected campaign channels. 3 out of 4 rural Swazi households have working radios, and of those more than 80% reported having listened to the programs that carried the messages. The flyers, the only widely distributed printed materials, were recognized by 3 out of 5 mothers and were owned by 1 in 5 mothers. After the first 6 months of the campaign, more than 1 in 5 rural women had learned and could repeat the correct formula. By the 3rd month of the campaign, 60% of the children had been treated with WSS or ORS -- a level sustained over the remainder of the campaign. These are preliminary evaluation results. Analysis will continue for some months with subsequent reports on data from a study of the validity of self-report data; analyses of effects of exposure to campaign channels on individuals' learning and practice; and people's susceptibility to campaign messages.
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