Informing video topics and content on maternal infant and young child nutrition and handwashing: Situational analysis and formative research in Maradi Niger.
In 2013 the USAID Global Health Bureau asked the SPRING project to collaborate with the Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel Enhanced Resilience (REGIS ER) project in providing support for maternal infant and young child nutrition related and hygiene related social and behavior change communication. In light of an earlier successful collaboration between SPRING and Digital Green in India (Odisha) SPRING decided that the community video approach used by Digital Green could be tested for use in the resilience context of the Sahel. USAID emphasized the need to include not only REGIS ER into the proof of concept but also other interested Food for Peace partners such as the Livelihoods Agriculture and Health Interventions in Action project and the Sawki project to strengthen their SBCC work in the field of MIYCN. Before developing the formative research protocol SPRING conducted a situational analysis in September 2014 using available published and unpublished reports and other program documents related to nutrition water sanitation and hygiene livelihoods family planning and gender practices in Niger focusing on the Maradi region. The partners selected four existing community groups in each one of the 20 villages to disseminate videos which were planned for production at a later stage. A situational analysis and formative research was to inform the content of the videos to be filmed in the commune of Guidan Roumdji and disseminated in the communes of Guidan Roumdji and Aguie. The formative research was designed to fill the gaps highlighted in the situation analysis for Maradi. Eight priority topics for videos were highlighted as a result of the formative research: Women's nutrition in the first 1000 days Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months Complementary feeding Continued breastfeeding through at least 24 months Diarrhea and malaria prevention and management Handwashing Use of family planning services Use of maternal health services. For each topic a set of recommended behaviors and their respective micro behaviors were identified. A series of videos are planned on these priority topics and behaviors articulating the barriers and motivators for each recommended practice. (Excerpts)