Evidence - SBC Impact
Compelling, credible, recent, direct impact data
Evidence - SBC Impact
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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The impact of safer breastfeeding practices on postnatal HIV-1 transmission in Zimbabwe

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Piwoz, E. G., J. H. Humphrey, et al. (2007). "The impact of safer breastfeeding practices on postnatal HIV-1 transmission in Zimbabwe." American Journal of Public Health 97(7): 1249-1254.

Objectives. We assessed the association between exposure to an educational intervention that emphasized safer breastfeeding practices and postnatal HIV transmission among 437 HIV-positive mothers in Zimbabwe, 365 of whom did not know their infection status.

Methods. Mothers were tested for HIV and were encouraged - but not required - to learn their HIV status. Intervention exposure was assessed by a questionnaire, Turnbull methods were used to estimate postnatal HIV transmission, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to assess the association between intervention exposure and postnatal HIV transmission.

Results. Cumulative postnatal HIV transmission was 8.2%; each additional intervention contact was associated with a 38% reduction in postnatal HIV transmission. HIV-positive mothers who were exposed to both print and video materials were 79% less likely to infect their infants compared with mothers who had no exposure. These findings were similar for mothers who did not know their HIV status.

Conclusions. The promotion of exclusive breastfeeding has the potential to reduce postnatal HIV transmission among women who do not know their HIV status, and child survival and HIV prevention programs should support this practice.

Why the focus on direct impact data?

A common challenge from policy makers, funders, community members, people directly experiencing development issues, and governments is: Demonstrate your Impact. Prove that what you are doing works. The high quality, highly credible data presented on the cards below is designed to help you answer that question for your social change, behaviour change, community engagement, communication and media for development, strategy formulation, policy engagement and funding initiatives. At this link filter the research data to your specific interests and priorities

Why a playing cards design?

There is a physical pack of cards with this data (to get a copy please request through the comment form for any card). The card approach allows for easy identification and selection of relevant direct impact data in any context. For example if talking with a donor and you need to identify proof of impact say "take a look at the 7 of Hearts". Quick access can be provided to high-quality data for many areas of your work – funding, planning, policy, advocacy, community dialogue, training, partner engagement, and more. A card deck is also engaging, easy to use and share, a conversation starter, and a resource - and they are fun and different. So we kept that design for the online images as it can serve similar purposes. 

What are the criteria for inclusion?

The impact data presented meets the following high standard for inclusion criteria:

  • Positive change or trend in a priority development issue;
  • Social change or behaviour change strategy or process;
  • Randomized Control Trial or Systematic Review methodology;
  • High quality peer review journal published;
  • Numeric impact data point
  • Published since 2010.