Why Africa?
Because of the high burden of child mortality and our ability to reach a large population through radio and TV, our current focus is on sub-Saharan Africa. We have selected ten priority countries for future projects, in addition to our trial in Burkina Faso:
Cameroon | Côte d'Ivoire | DRC | Ethiopia | Guinea | Malawi | Mozambique | Niger | Sierra Leone | Uganda
These countries were selected on the basis of:
• The child mortality rate (per 100,000 live births) and the overall numbers of children dying every year
• The media landscape (how many people listen to radio, where, on which stations, in which languages)
• Various other logistical and practical considerations
One of our great advantages is that many of the behaviours that we are seeking to change are not dependent on the availability of healthcare services. Because 60% of our impact on child survival is achieved by changing household behaviours (such as exclusive breastfeeding, or continued feeding when a child has diarrhoea) that are not reliant on the availability of healthcare services, we are able to operate effectively in countries that do not have a well-functioning health service, as long as enough people listen to radio.
Our priority countries are highlighted on the map below. Hover over each country to see the predicted number of child and maternal lives that we can save each year through mass media campaigns, and click on the country to find out more.
