Skip to main content

Naija News - Special Report - Issue 15 - September, 2019

Countries
Nigeria
Sources
USAID
Publication date

Health, Population, and Nutrition

New Albishrin Ku! Radio Dramas Highlighting Health Issues a Big Hit

USAID’s new and innovative integrated health Social and Behavior Change campaign called Albishirin Ku! (“Glad Tidings” in Hausa) leverages the power of storytelling to deliver important goodhealth messages. Presented nationally on September 19, the coordinated messaging package built around a weekly radio drama promotes positive health behaviors such as maternal, newborn, and child health, good nutrition, family planning, and malaria prevention and treatment. Acting Health Office Director Minal Amin represented USAID at the launch, where she said “though barely out of the gate, the campaign already shows that messaging about modest behavior changes can save lives and improve health through an entertaining radio program.”

To augment the broadcasts, community volunteers will directly engage households and community groups as well as religious and traditional leaders who have agreed to amplify and reinforce these messages at the state and local levels. Active in Bauchi, Kebbi, and Sokoto states, the multimedia campaign, has proved wildly popular, generating over 88,000 calls to listen to the toll-free episodes of the drama on mobile phones since broadcasting began in Bauchi on August 26. The broadcasts expanded to Kebbi and Sokoto on September 15. “The launch of Albishirin Ku! is the dawn of a new era that mirrors hope and symbolizes empowerment of women and the wellbeing of the family,” said Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, wife of the Kebbi state governor at the launch. It is anticipated that the successful rollout of the messaging campaign, implemented for USAID through Breakthrough Action Nigeria, will result in expansion of the activity across Nigeria. Watch this video.