Phase II Launch of Wazazi Nipendeni (“Love Me, Parents”) Campaign Receives Widespread Media Coverage

September 28, 2015
By Anne Kott

Wazazi Nipendeni, a health communication campaign implemented by CCP in Tanzania, recently garnered global and regional media attention for the launch of its second phase. Wazazi Nipendeni, or “Love Me, Parents,” was originally launched in 2012 to encourage pregnant women and their partners to take the necessary steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery. Quantitative evaluation of the campaign’s first phase showed that Wazazi Nipendeni significantly impacted several maternal and child health outcomes, including number of antenatal care visits, HIV testing, mosquito net use, receipt of two or more doses of SP (an antimalarial drug), and individual birth planning.

Wazazi Nipendeni now expands its scope from pregnancy and delivery to include post-partum period care for newborns and up to a child’s first birthday. New communication objectives focus on malaria, anaemia and tetanus prevention, life-long ART for HIV positive pregnant and lactating women, Vitamin A, post-natal care attendance, danger signs, early and exclusive breastfeeding, immunizations, and post-partum family planning.

At the Phase II launch in Dar es Salaam in July 2015, the Tanzania Capacity and Communication Project (a five-year, USAID-funded project led by CCP) teamed up with service delivery partners to provide health education and services, including family planning, voluntary HIV counseling and testing, malaria testing, and breast and cervical cancer screening. Performances by musicians Amani Temba, known as “Mh. Temba,” Juma “Chege,” and FM Academia band, also known as Wazee wa Ngwasum, drew huge crowds. An estimated 5,000 people attended the two days of services and entertainment.

News coverage of Wazazi Nipendeni Phase II launch included:

Reuters – “Tanzania’s free SMS health campaign helps pregnant women, new mothers” (Picked up by CCTV-Africa, Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, News United, Africa News Daily, Yahoo News)
All Africa – “Tanzania: Special campaign to promote maternal health launched”
IPP Media – “Dar launches campaign to minimise maternal deaths” (also ran in The Guardian (TZ))
Daily News (TZ) – “Special campaign to promote maternal health launched”
The Citizen (TZ) – (Photo from relaunch included in slideshow)

The campaign launch was also covered live on 9 local television stations and 9 local radio stations, 13 Tanzanian newspapers, and by numerous Tanzanian blogs.

Wazazi Nipendeni’s fifteen radio and four television spots are currently being broadcast widely on national and regional stations, and client and provider-targeted brochures, posters, reminder cards, pregnancy wheels, and promotional materials have been distributed to health facilities throughout the country. Mass media and health facility interventions are supported by community outreach and interpersonal communication through the roll-out of a participatory community resource kit, implemented by the Tanzania Communication and Development Center (TCDC) through community-based organizations in 17 regions. All campaign materials and activities referred users to the Healthy Pregnancy, Healthy Baby Text Messaging Services, where they can register to receive free information, tips, and reminders.

Wazazi Nipendeni is led by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare through the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The SBCC campaign is implemented by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) and the SMS component by Cardno’s mHealth Tanzania Public-Private Partnership.