Behavioural change, key to achieving progress towards human, social development – UNICEF Chief

Wed, Oct 23, 2019
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Health

MAULID Warfa, the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) Chief Field Officer in Kano says behavioural change is a key to achieving progress towards human and social development, whether in health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene.

Warfa stated this on Tuesday at a two-day Forum on social and behavioural change communication for stakeholders in Kano.

According to Warfa, change is a key to achieving the desired results on the above mentioned, adding that, behavioural change is not only a recurring decimal but also a rallying point around which many sectors can converge.

“With this in mind, a social and behavior change communication forum is proposed to discuss the current approaches to community mobilization, social and behavior change communication by the various sectors that UNICEF Kano Field Office is supporting.

“And how to harmonise the various approaches for optimal results for the Nigerian child.

“Since social norms undergird human behavior in society, the forum will also look at prevalent social norms in the states under the Kano Field Office and proffer suggestions on how to address them,” he said.

He added that the proposed stakeholders will bring together key social and behavior change communication stakeholders from each of the sectors that UNICEF is currently supporting in Kano Field Office.

Warfa added that it is proposed that each sector should nominate five persons to represent key partners implementing social and behavior change communication activities.

“One of such persons will be expected to share a 10- minute presentation on their current strategies for community mobilization, lessons learnt, challenges encountered, and those challenges that have been addressed.

And possible areas of collaboration with other sectors. It is proposed that out of the five persons to be nominated by each sector, at least two should come from each of the states the Field Office is currently supporting.

In addition to these five, at least one Programme Manager, Specialist, Officer from each of UNICEF’s sections is expected to participate and support in synthesizing ideas for convergence and integration”, he said.

The Field Officer added that the general objective of the forum was to share experience on how the various sectors are approaching social and behavior change communication with a view to synthesizing, harmonizing and delivering as one in various communities.

According to him, “At the end of the forum, UNICEF is expecting the adoption of a convergent approach to social and behavior change communication across the sectors.

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– Oct 23, 2019 @ 08:09 GMT |

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