12,130 Child Survival Call to Action to end preventable child deaths, Elizabeth Fox

Dear Octavio ,

Increasingly, local, national, and international development strategies and decision-making need to be evidence based. This has proved a challenge for those development approaches that focus on social and individual behaviour processes across populations through work with families, increasing community engagement, changing social norms, challenging individual behaviours, addressing cultural dynamics, reducing stigma and discrimination, improving gender dynamics, harnessing the digital and mobile technologies for more effective communication, and supporting local leadership.

USAID has a priority focus on the health and development of children under 5 years of age through its «Child Survival Call to Action to end preventable child deaths.» The change elements highlighted in this document play a key role in ending preventable child deaths.

In order to support and inform the strategic decision-making by all organisations involved in work with children under 5 years, USAID convened a series of Expert Review Teams to identify the key research and evaluation data on these priorities:

• Families, Mothers, Caregivers;
• Gender Dynamics;
• Stigma and Discrimination;
• Community Action;
• Health Systems and Policy Supports;
• Mass Media, and
• M-Health.

Along with many other organisations, The Communication Initiative has been part of the Core group planning and implementing this Evidence Summit. It conducted an initial survey that was instrumental in establishing the priority areas just outlined. Now The CI is sharing the knowledge generated by the Summit process.

Can we please introduce you to the knowledge generated from this process in support of your work?

1. Please access the theme site with this impact evidence and links to the Expert Review Team papers.
2. There are links to the summaries of the Expert Review Teams’ papers and then through to the full papers published by the Journal of Health Communication.
3. The initial blocks on that theme site present and link to the research and evaluation knowledge identified as most important by the relevant Expert Review Team. For example, see the block titled «GENDER DYNAMICS – Expert Review Team references (USAID Evidence Summit)» – click on the title to link to all studies selected by this Expert Review Team (ERT).
4. The second set of blocks link to all knowledge identified through the data collection process in the initial stages of the Evidence Summit work. This is the full list of relevant research and evaluation studies from which the ERTs selected. For example, linked from the title of the block «Stigma and Discrimination» are the 100 studies identified and considered by that ERT.
5. On opening these links and/or using the search block top right, you will be able to further filter the knowledge presented according to your specific interests. For example, click on the Nigeria check-box for Nigeria-related studies.
6. In the right margin on most pages – e.g., home page, there is a block titled «USAID Evidence Summit Summary» that provides an overview of the Evidence Summit with links to the main overall documents.
7. Below that you will see a block titled «Under 5s Evidence Summit – Key Documents». This contains links to the specific Evidence Summit documents, including the priority analysis, process note, screening process, agenda, and the Expert Review Team papers.
8. You can quickly share all of this with your own social networks – e.g., click on the Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email, etc., icons on each page to share that page – for example at Jamaican studies in nutrition and child development, and their implications for national development.
9. Can we please encourage you to log onto The CI site to comment on the impact data presented. For example, at this summary «Sustained high levels of stored drinking water treatment and retention of hand-washing knowledge in rural Kenyan households following a clinic-based intervention», please scroll down and add your comments.
10. You can also rate the knowledge presented from the perspective of how helpful it is to your work. Click on the stars that represent your assessment – for example at«Assessing impact and impact pathways of a homestead food production program on household and child nutrition in Cambodia».

We very much hope that this supports you in both reviewing and seeking to improve your very valuable work on health issues with under 5s. Our thanks for reviewing and engaging.

Best wishes,

Elizabeth Fox PhD
Director
Office of Health, Infectious Diseases, and Nutrition
USAID