By working closely with Nigerians, who were involved in everything from identifying the challenges to developing and implementing the solutions that were part of the project’s activities, CCP-led Breakthrough ACTION prepared government and community groups to take the project successes and build on them long into the future.
Because of the efforts of Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria and its partners, more pregnant mothers are accessing pre-natal care, more families are sleeping under life-saving mosquito nets, more children with previously undetected tuberculosis are receiving vital treatment, and COVID-19 vaccination rates are up by 75 percent.
“We are confident that these activities will continue beyond the lifespan of this flagship social and behavior change project because the capacity now exists in Nigeria to keep the country moving forward,” says CCP’s Shittu Abdu-Aguye, chief of party of the Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria project.
Community volunteer Halima Salisu is determined to spread the word about the importance of family planning in her corner of Bauchi State in Nigeria. She’s using visual aids provided by Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria to illustrate the benefits to even the most skeptical.
Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria implemented both tried and true social and behavior change interventions and developed novel methods, including large-scale community health worker interventions and a weekly radio show
community volunteers
community members
COVID-19 vaccination rate increase
referrals to health facilities
completed referrals to health facilities
aired since 2019
When Fatima Muhammad Auwal first heard the radio program Albishirin Ku!, a Hausa expression meaning Glad or Good Tidings, she knew immediately that the show could change her children’s lives for the better. Right away, she wanted to start by getting them immunized against childhood diseases. But she couldn’t take action because, she says, “it’s not my call.”
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Halima Salisu
By Nura Bashir Faggo, Chizoba Onyechi and Ramatu Ada-Ochekliye
Halima Salisu is determined to spread the word about the importance of family planning in her corner of Bauchi State in Nigeria.
The 32-year-old community volunteer hasn’t always walked an easy path in sharing her knowledge. She has faced some resistance from community members as she conducts house-to-house visits and small gatherings to share essential information.
On one visit, she encountered a mother-in-law who opposed the idea of discussing family planning, believing it to be taboo. Undeterred, she engaged the mother-in-law in thoughtful dialogue, using visual aids provided by Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria to illustrate the benefits of family planning. Slowly, over the course of multiple meetings and conversations, Halima gradually changed the mother-in-law’s perspective, highlighting how family planning could lead to better health outcomes for both mothers and their children.
The breakthrough came when the mother-in-law agreed to support her son and daughter-in-law in accessing family planning services. This victory not only marked a personal triumph for Halima, but also represented a significant step forward in promoting reproductive health within her community.
Reflecting on her experience, Halima emphasizes the importance of education and dialogue in breaking down barriers to family planning. She believes that by empowering families with knowledge and support, they can make informed decisions about their health. Halima’s dedication to empowering her community highlights the vital role that community volunteers play in driving positive change. Through her efforts, she is not only improving access to family planning services but also contributing to a healthier and more resilient future for all.
Fatima Muhammad Auwal
When Fatima Muhammad Auwal first heard the radio program Albishirin Ku!, she knew immediately that the show could change her children’s lives for the better. Right away, she wanted to start by getting them immunized against childhood diseases. But she couldn’t take action because, she says, “it’s not my call.”
It was Fatima’s husband, Muhammad Auwal Sulaiman, who made health decisions, and he was influenced by his eldest sister, who said vaccines were linked to infertility. Soon, though, Fatima had convinced him to listen to the radio program on her phone.
The episodes about immunizations struck him, too. He learned that he could be doing more to protect his family from measles. “Every time it hit, my children were severely infected, and I thought I’d lose them,” he recalls. “We’d try all sorts of treatments – herbs, the traditional medicine. There was nothing we didn’t try.”
The radio drama, produced by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs’ led Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria project, convinced Muhammad to immunize their youngest daughter. Soon, they saw that the baby didn’t get as sick as her siblings.
“The Albishirin Ku! show has been highly impactful on us as a family,” he says. “It has strengthened our bond … We’ve also learned about childbirth spacing and how to improve the health and well-being of our children.”
Says Fatima: “When you’re from a large family, it’s pretty hard to dispel the misconceptions your family members have around … immunizations.”
The Albishirin Ku! show followed the life of a fictitious young couple, their stories interwoven with social issues and conversations about health behaviors. Each week, the show focused on one health theme, and it unfolded from a different point of view each day – from the couple, a health worker, a religious or community leader, a mother-in-law, a traditional leader or a community influencer. Episodes were broadcast in Hausa five times a day on weekdays in five-minute segments.
Because of the short format, people didn’t only have to listen on the radio. Like Fatima, millions accessed the program on their mobile phones through a free call-in number. From August 2012 to March 2024, more than six million callers made nearly 35 million calls to listen to Albishirin Ku! content for more than 86 million minutes.
The show was created through a human-centered design (HCD) process that engaged community members, health providers, community leaders, local scriptwriters and producers and other stakeholders in the design and implementation of the programs. This meant the shows were culturally relevant and resonated with the listening audience.
About 45 percent of women exposed to the Albishirin Ku! radio drama vaccinated their children as compared to 32 percent of women not exposed. In addition to immunization, those who listened to Albishirin Ku! were significantly more likely to practice multiple preventive behaviors than women not exposed including family planning, pre-natal care visits, facility delivery and exclusive breastfeeding.
Based on her new knowledge, Fatima is spreading the word about immunizations and Albishirin Ku! in her conservative Bauchi State community. Many of her neighbors are convinced. Even her sister-in-law, who had avoided vaccinations because she feared that they would lead to infertility, is planning on immunizing her stepson.
“There is not a single person in my family who hasn’t embraced immunization,” she says.
“I can stand tall and declare that Albishirin Ku! has changed me. It has changed me, and I have changed others.”
Her husband agrees: “My behaviors have changed and that’s the truth.”
