In Burkina Faso and Mali, precarious neighbourhoods in peri-urban areas are nonetheless experiencing very excessive ranges of malnutrition, notably amongst pregnant and breastfeeding girls and younger youngsters. To answer these main public well being challenges, the Meriem venture, carried out by GRET in partnership with a coalition of stakeholders made up of pros from NGOs, analysis and personal sector consulting, is testing revolutionary advertising options with Sahelian companies.
Led by GRET and the Malian and Burkinabe Ministries of Well being, the Bébé Kodi social communication marketing campaign – carried out as a part of the Meriem venture – is conveying messages to stop malnutrition issues in pregnant and breastfeeding girls, and selling consumption of high quality fortified meals as a part of a wholesome, balanced weight-reduction plan.
That is one piece of recommendation given by the child star from the “Bébé kodi” (“Child says what”) awareness-raising marketing campaign spots. The child reacts instantly from its mom’s womb to the dietary recommendation given by a midwife to its mother and father. It’s on this unique, playful tone {that a} nationwide social communication marketing campaign for behavioural change was launched in Mali in November 2020. A month later, an analogous marketing campaign was launched in Burkina Faso.
These two revolutionary, unprecedented campaigns stand out for his or her multi-channel strategy, concurrently mobilising the media, cell telephones, social networks, and outreach actions. This technique maximises the affect on the ladies and men focused, to enhance information and foster widespread adoption of really useful practices.
These two campaigns goal to implement a spread of actions to advertise a transparent message: throughout being pregnant and breastfeeding, consuming a diversified, balanced weight-reduction plan is important for the well being of moms and their youngsters.
Underneath the auspices of the Burkinabe and Malian Ministries of Well being, in partnership with GRET as a part of the Meriem venture, these two campaigns are being carried out for a interval of three to 4 months. They had been developed with the assistance of native communication companies, and the involvement of a key venture associate, the Ogilvy communication company.
Poster developed as a part of the “Bébé kodi” consciousness marketing campaign in Mali.
Within the two Sahelian capitals, numerous types of malnutrition exist: under-nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, extreme weight and weight problems. In Mali and Burkina Faso, anaemia, usually attributable to iron deficiency, impacts 63 % and 49 % respectively of ladies of childbearing age (aged 15 to 49). Within the Bamako area in Mali, greater than 40 % of ladies of childbearing age are obese. In Burkina Faso, solely 19.4 % of ladies of childbearing age have a diversified weight-reduction plan.
But, the dietary standing of future moms has a direct affect on that of youngsters and the results of kid malnutrition are irreversible, as they affect the well being of younger youngsters and due to this fact future adults, each bodily (delayed progress, poor well being) and cognitively (studying difficulties, and so forth.). The battle in opposition to maternal malnutrition is due to this fact one of many keys to stopping the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.
These campaigns assist the advertising and promotion of native fortified meals for pregnant and breastfeeding girls as a result of, for Martial Pouret, director of the Meriem venture, “these merchandise are solely efficient to battle in opposition to malnutrition if they’re a part of enough quantities of an acceptable, diversified weight-reduction plan. Widespread dissemination of data on an acceptable weight-reduction plan makes it potential to create an surroundings that fosters information, understanding and consumption of fortified merchandise”.
These two social communication campaigns additionally goal to generate higher consciousness amongst males, who’re usually not very conscious of the foremost assist position they must play of their wives’ vitamin and well being. Because the child says, “Get it, dads?”.
The marketing campaign messages are disseminated through quite a few complementary media briefly, pragmatic messages: “much less sweets, extra water“. Sandrine Guissou and Maïmouna Diakité, GRET’s two awareness-raising officers in Burkina Faso and Mali, clarify that “the target is to broadcast the identical messages concurrently via totally different communication channels for higher credibility. On this means, the messages are broadly shared and mentioned, which maximizes their probabilities of being memorised and put into apply.”
Movie-debate periods in neighbourhoods and well being centres within the two capitals are organised by native associations supported by GRET. Movies created particularly for the campaigns are proven to small teams of pregnant and breastfeeding girls and their husbands, individually or as a pair. These screenings provoke wealthy exchanges on dietary practices. “(…) the well-being of youngsters can’t be ensured with out the assist of each mother and father, it’s as much as each mother and father to make sure the evolution of the being pregnant and motherhood. I discovered lots right this moment. …) I’m interesting to all males to turn into conscious,” mentioned one father at a film-debate within the Torokorobougou district of Bamako.
WhatsApp mailing lists may also be created with film-debate members to share movies, marketing campaign messages, and encourage peer-to-peer sharing.
Movie-debates periods in Bamako
The mobilisation of members within the film-debates is facilitated by influential individuals within the neighbourhoods (neighbourhood leaders, imams, representatives of native associations, and well being staff) who themselves generally act as spokespersons for the marketing campaign messages.
Quick variations of the movies proven on the film-debates had been additionally broadcast on nationwide and native TV channels and interactive radio programmes had been organised. In Mali, a mini-series was created and broadcast, with 3 one-minute episodes every. Viewers can observe the mother and father’ adventures and determine with them. You’ll be able to watch these on the Bébé Kodi YouTube channel, and see the Burkina Faso spot right here.
In Burkina Faso, proficient and dedicated slam artist Malika la slameuse agreed to be an envoy for the notice marketing campaign. “The well-being of future generations is at stake,” she says in one in every of her posts relaying the actions of the marketing campaign on her Fb web page. She composed a particular slam on the ideas of a balanced, diversified weight-reduction plan, which may be very common and permits a bigger target market to be reached, on condition that she is a outstanding superstar in Burkina Faso.
Malika the slammer
Lastly, cell telephony additionally makes it potential to massively sensitize the inhabitants via the Viamo service in Mali and the AlloLaafia service in Burkina Faso. The latter permits personalised recommendation to be despatched through textual content message to pregnant and breastfeeding girls on their weight-reduction plan and really useful care. The subscription, which is free, can also be supplied to pregnant and breastfeeding girls’s husbands.
