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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Published 24 years ago
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Vaccine Independence - Sahel

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This community approach project aimed to encourage and support states to create vaccination as a public priority for local and national budgets, without taking the place of existing facilities. By using close coordination and partnerships with foreign partners, progress and advantages that had been unforeseen occurred. The community helped to derive the project in partnership with USAID and UNICEF.
Communication Strategies

Promotion of a vaccine procurement system, developed in such a way as to hand greater responsibility to national health ministries, while guaranteeing quality of vaccines and supply at minimum cost. A regional technical assistance team was also created to provide backup and support to countries during transition.
Development Issues

Health and nutrition, vaccination, immunisation.
Key Points

Recognizing that the supply of international aid is not infinite, this programme was created to provide developing countries with some control and know-how in the field of vaccination. The Sahel countries are Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Chad. The regional technical centre created in Burkina Faso was also responsible to help build national planning and management capacity in vaccine operations, regional coordination of training measures, studies and surveys in the field.
Partners



EC (European Commission), USAID (United States Agency for International Development), UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Education Fund), community groups, government organisations.

Sources

"Development" European Commission, (Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1998) December 1998, p. 26.