FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2005

New Data Demonstrate Impact of Strategic Communication on
Practices and Intentions Related to Female Genital Cutting in Nigeria

BALTIMORE — While more than half the women in Nigeria 's Enugu State have undergone female genital cutting (FGC), a cultural practice that involves removing some or all of the female genitalia, the Health Communication Partnership (HCP) was recently part of a successful multi-media strategic communication program that increased support for discontinuing the practice after just one year.

In partnership with two Nigeria-based organizations — the National Association of Women Journalists and Women Action Research Organization — HCP used a non-confrontational approach to begin discussing this highly sensitive topic with Enugu families. According to the latest issue of Communication Impact! , researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Communication Programs (CCP) found that support for FGC declined significantly after exposure to the program called Ndukaku , an Igbo word for “Health is better than wealth.”

In addition to increasing support for ending FGC, the proportion of women believing FGC is beneficial declined from 42.1 percent to 24.6 percent after exposure to Ndukaku. The program consisted of community mobilization activities, advocacy, and mass media interventions. Community activities included viewing of the film Uncut — Playing with Life from Communication for Change at group gatherings, while advocacy activities consisted of visits to traditional leaders.

Women participating in Ndukaku became empowered agents for change through the community mobilization activities, which were based on HCP partner Save the Children's Community Action Cycle (CAC). The CAC helps community groups identify and tackle their most pressing health issues.

Statewide interventions included regular newspaper columns, radio call-in shows, and public forums on FGC. The program triggered other positive developments, including a public pronouncement against FGC from the traditional leader of Eha Amufu, who also banned the practice in his domain. His action led to a health bill before the Enugu State House of Assembly that included language on the elimination of FGC.

HCP is a global communication initiative based at CCP in partnership with the Academy for Educational Development, Save the Children, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and Tulane University ‘s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. In addition to the five core partners, HCP works with leading Southern-based health communication organizations as well as global programming partners from the corporate sector, international media, academic institutions, and faith-based organizations. For more information, visit www.hcpartnership.org .

With representatives in more than 30 countries, Johns Hopkins' CCP partners with organizations worldwide to design and implement strategic communication programs that influence political dialogue, collective action, and individual behavior change; enhance access to information and the exchange of knowledge to improve health and health care; and conduct research to guide program design, evaluate impact, and advance knowledge and practice in health communication. For more information, visit www.jhuccp.org .