Building Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Capacity: The establishment of an accredited postgraduate SBCC program at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Communication plays an integral role in public health programming, from raising awareness about particular health issues to shifting social norms.  Communication also includes advocacy and social mobilization to secure political and social commitment to priority health issues.  To achieve ambitious health targets such as the MDGs, expertise in the area of SBCC is needed.  However, before the initiation of the SBCC program at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in 2009, the only options for SBCC training in Africa were unaccredited and stand-alone. 

The program aims to build a critical mass of practitioners capable of designing and implementing evidence-based SBCC in Africa, whether their focus is preventing HIV or addressing non-communicable diseases, like diabetes. Through a partnership between Soul City IHDC and Wits, a process was undertaken to develop a competency-based curriculum, accredit specialized SBCC courses, and implement of a Freireian pedagogic approach.   

The resulting program consists of a Master of Public Health (MPH) SBCC specialization, seven accredited short-courses, and a research arm.  Since late 2009, over 200 practitioners from 20 countries have been trained through well-evaluated short-courses.  Twelve MPH students have completed course work and the next cohort begins in 2012.  These students are experienced practitioners from seven countries and come from government, donor agencies as well as NGOs.  The program also actively supports a SBCC research agenda to improve the quality of evidence for social and behavioral interventions.

There has been considerable interest in this program as a model, with universities from Nigeria, Albania, and Tanzania seeking insight into how to establish their own programs. Key success factors include an engaged Board of Advisors, the partnership between an academics and practitioners as well as donor support.  Most importantly, the program is building skills that enable practitioners to design effective SBCC to address Africa’s public health priorities.