Communication for Healthy Living (CHL)

Overview

Communication for Healthy Living (CHL), a seven-year project funded by USAID, aimed to enable Egyptian families and communities to protect and maintain their health. The project was led by CCP in partnership with the Egyptian Government. Through its affiliation with the global Health Communication Partnership (HCP), CHL provided communication support for healthy lifestyles and behavior change on a broad spectrum of health outcomes. More than 1.28 million people were reached by CHL outreach. CCP also worked with CHL to build capacity for health communication among the public, nongovernmental organization (NGO) and private sectors in Egypt.

Accomplishments

• “Ask, Consult” (Isaal-Istashir) partnered with private companies to manage a network of 30,000 privately owned pharmacies. 98% of this nationwide pharmacy network was reached by CHL’s integrated campaign of mass media, pharmacy training, and community outreach, supporting family health products, information and services.

• CHL assisted government ministries to produce television and radio PSAs, print materials, and media trainings on avian influenza prevention. CHL was able to leverage these accomplishments for an immediate response and campaign on the H1N1 pandemic.

• CHL’s Mabrouk (Congratulations) Initiative promoted family planning, reproductive health, and maternal and child health to young married couples. Messages on antenatal care, safe delivery, and infant health were delivered nationally for parents in the early years of marriage. In cooperation with Procter & Gamble, CHL distributed the Mabrouk book and related materials to 130,000 new mothers.

• Community Development Associations provided a forum for the “Arab Women Speak Out” (AWSO) program, and enabled women to build their professional skills in health and gender equity. CHL trained over 400 women community leaders to conduct AWSO discussion groups in Upper Egypt, reaching over 10,000 women.

• The Community Health Program reached more than 36,000 women, including over 15,000 ‘at-risk’ women with low-weight-gain pregnancy or need of antenatal care for first pregnancy or remedial feeding for infants. As a result, infant malnutrition rates fell from 25.8 percent to 4.8 percent across CHL focal villages.