The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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The PHRI/Soros TB Programme - Russia

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A programme started in 1997 to establish sustainable TB control systems in several Russian regions for civilian & prison populations. The hope was to achieve a significant decrease in the incidence & prevalence of tuberculosis, even in the presence of high levels of drug resistant TB.
Communication Strategies

Training of Russian health care professionals & public advocacy is the strategy for turberculosis control called Directly Observed Therapy Short Course (DOTS). As the epicentre of the new TB epidemic is the Russian prison population, they were the primary focus for this programme.

Development Issues

Health

Key Points

The PHRI programme had 5 components:

  • Training of Russian health care professionals to manage TB control
  • Provision of equipment & supplies for TB diagnosis & treatment
  • Establishment of a network of bacteriological laboratories
  • Monitoring of implementation & guidance of Russian health care professionals
  • Public advocacy

The DOTS programme is "a relatively inexpensive ($50 per patient) standard 6 month treatment course with 4 drugs, that utilizes health care professionals to watch their patients take each dose of medication in order to ensure adherence. When properly implemented, (in an environment where drug resistance has not already established itself), DOTS cures sick patients, reduces the recurrence & spread of TB, & prevents the development of drug resistance".

Partners

The Public Health Reasearch Institute (PHRI), Russian Federal & Local Governments, the UK based Medical Emergency Relief International (MERLIN), NGOs, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organisation (WHO).