The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative

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. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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Impact Data - Leprosy Awareness Campaign

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Date
Methodologies
A survey of 1000 people was conducted to evaluate the campaign during March 2003. Five sites - across all Brazilian regions - were selected from the Brazilian Ministry of Health’s list of priority areas for leprosy control. Two hundred men and women, from all socio-economic groups, were interviewed in each site. These evaluation findings are elaborated in additional documents available from the BBC World Service Trust.
Knowledge Shifts
Levels of hanseniase (leprosy) awareness and knowledge of specific symptoms are approximately 30% higher among those exposed to the campaign, compared to those not exposed. For example, 47% of those exposed to the campaign, compared to 12% of the unexposed, knew that numbness or lack of sensation was a symptom of leprosy.
Attitudes
Correct beliefs regarding leprosy treatment and tolerance for people being treated are at approximately 30% higher levels among those exposed to the campaign, compared to those not exposed. For example, the belief that a person could live a normal life during treatment for leprosy was higher (72%) among the exposed, compared to 38% of those not exposed.
Increased Discussion of Development Issues
During the one-month campaign, the Telehansen information hotline offered by Reintegration Movement of People Affected by Leprosy (MORHAN, or Movimento de Reintegração das Pessoas Atingidas pela Hanseníase) received more than 10,000 calls. This was an average of 387 calls per day during the campaign, an increase from an average 14 calls per day in January prior to the campaign.
Access
Globo, SBT, Bandeirantes and Rede TV!, in addition to 10 other national television partners, reported broadcasting the campaign TV spots more than 7000 times nationally. In addition, over 2800 radio stations across Brazil were given the campaign spots.

The campaign had broad penetration across 5 regions, reaching an average of 64% of the 1000 adults interviewed. In Ananindeua 80% of the intended audience was exposed to the campaign; in Contagem and Goiania the level was 71%; in Recife the level was 51%; and in Curitiba the level was 47%. The estimated national reach of the campaign is 73.6 to 84.7 million people.

Reaching 60% of respondents, TV was far more effective than radio, which reached just 4%. The single most effective TV spot was the "Beach" advertisement, featuring a sexy young couple on a beach; 61% of those surveyed recalled seeing the ad. Of those exposed to the TV spots, 17% had seen all three.
Source
Letter sent from Roy Head to The Communication Initiative on August 11 2003; and BBC World Service Trust website; and Executive Summary of Brazil Leprosy Campaign Evaluation [PDF], July 2003; and letter sent from Lizz Frost Yocum to The Communication Initiative on August 23 2004.