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The Health Communications program element of the BPS model centers on using data and community insights to improve the targeting, framing, and timing of health promotion activities across the district and in specific communities. Led by the District Health Promotion Office (HPO), Blantyre launched the Konda Blantyre, Konda Moyo (Love Blantyre, Love Life) as an umbrella campaign for its HIV prevention activities across the district. As training has expanded across the district, there has been a shift toward more data-informed decision making about where, when, why, and for whom health promotion activities should be directed. Working closely with Network Model committees that bring in community voices and perspectives, the HPO has supported Konda Blantyre, Konda Moyo activities that share health information and provide services.

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Elements of Blantyre’s health promotion approach:

 

  1. Data access and use capacity at district, facility, and community levels. Transparent data access down to community level has enabled facilities and the network model committees to identify where there are issues and mobilize resources to respond in the specific communities with the data-informed interventions.

  2. Trained health promotion officers at facility level. The Blantyre District HPO has focused on capacity building at facility levels to ensure that health promotion campaigns and other demand generation activities are data-informed and targeted to the specific communities and areas with the appropriate information.

  3.  Health promotion and service delivery events in the community. Leveraging the network model committees, Blantyre has moved from more generalized, district-wide campaigns to locally led, locally delivered approaches informed by data.

The District HPO has prioritized the rollout of data-driven health promotion events, targeting facility-identified health issues. Health facilities reviewed their data, analyzed it through root cause analysis and/or community insight gathering, and developed interventions to address identified issues such as conducting a health communication event. In Year 5, the District HPO initiated a new approach to planning such events. Instead of the HPO deciding on the budget for various activities, the HPO encouraged facilities to write and submit proposals to the HPO for support to implement the events planned in response to their analysis.

An example of this approach in action comes from Chilomoni health center, which used passive and active surveillance data to identify an issue they wanted to address in the community. Passive surveillance came during a January 2025 data user clinic, during which the facility rapid response team (FRRT), QIST, and Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) focal person noted a red flag associated with a rise of number of sexually transmitted infection (STI) cases among youth in the catchment up to 80 cases in quarters 2-3 of CY 2024. Active surveillance data came from community members who identified signals in the community in terms of where “risky behavior” was taking place. After triangulating and investigating the signals, the health center conducted a root cause analysis found four contributing factors:

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  1. Misunderstanding of PrEP: Many community members lack clarity on its proper use, especially its role in combination with other preventive measures such as condoms.

  2. Increased availability of unregulated drinking establishments: These environments foster risky sexual behaviors, particularly among youth.

  3. Lack of dual protective measures: Most adolescents prefer to use other preventive measures for HIV, not condoms for STI protection.

  4. Selective use of family planning methods: many women prioritize pregnancy prevention without addressing other risks, such as STI protection.

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Based on these factors, the facility decided to organize an activity to tackle the knowledge gap on STI preventive measures through a Konda Blantyre, Konda Moyo event at Nthukwa area where most of the cases were registered. As part of its resource mobilization for the event, the facility team submitted a proposal to the HPO for possible funding, which was supported by the District’s BPS Year 5 budget. The activity was planned using SOPs for planning a road show and an open event. Partners supported with service delivery. 

 

The facility organized the network model committee to work to as a task force for the event and leverage resources in the community. The event was held on April 11, 2025, with support from those local partners. For instance, MACRO provided HIV testing while EGPAF supported other services. In addition to distributing more than 20,000 condoms and 600 HIV self-test kits, 35 received STI screening, and 2 STI clients were treated. Of the 27 tested for HIV, two were found positive and linked to care.

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Photo. Ward Counsellor Phillip Litchowa giving remarks at the Nthukwa

Through the activity, what had been a weak Network Model committee was strengthened, and there was good collaboration with partners, community structures and local leaders including two Ward Councilors. Following the event, the Facility In-charge for Chilomoni shared that “We are very happy that we have managed to identify a problem, analyse our data and plan our event with the community without being told what to do from the district level”.

 

The HPO sees this new approach to resource mobilization as an important institutionalization step putting the responsibility and ownership at the facility level to use active and passive surveillance data and root cause analysis and identify when, where, and how health promotion and other service delivery interventions should be delivered.

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