Rabies was identified as the second most important priority zoonotic disease (PZD) in Sierra Leone, but little is known about community-level drivers of rabies transmission. These studies used qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data from residents and key stakeholders in Bombali district of Sierra Leone, in June-July 2018. Focus group discussions stratified by age and gender were conducted among a cross-section of the community and key stakeholders, with questionnaires administered to randomly selected community members. The overall aims of these studies were to document and understand perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors associated with rabies risk and prevention. 


Perceptions of risk of rabies were mixed and were linked to higher awareness of, and experiences with, the disease. While awareness of rabies was generally high, high-risk perceptions and awareness did not translate to a decrease in high-risk interactions. Indeed, livelihood such as animal husbandry increased risky behaviors and activities among many community members and was prioritized over personal health and rabies exposure. Community members who consistently engage in high-risk activities may benefit from targeted health messages that address causes and transmission pathways for rabies, as well as ways to limit personal risk during income generation. Continuous interpersonal and community dialogue approaches and use of community monitors may also help address conflicts between risk perception and risk behavior. These approaches afford individuals opportunities to share experiences and discuss the issues that influence their current perceptions and behaviors.

More than half of women of reproductive age in India are anemic. Anemia causes fatigue and cognitive impairment, affecting a woman's ability to contribute to the labor force and her overall quality of life. Reducing anemia can be achieved by regularly taking iron-folic acid (IFA) supplements. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial to promote IFA consumption among women of reproductive age since prior research indicates the positive effects of interpersonal communication on changing behavior. Grounded by the theory of normative social behavior, the goal of the Reduction in Anemia through Normative Innovations (RANI) Project was to increase the use of IFA through participatory interactions and interpersonal communication regarding anemia and IFA consumption. The project distinguishes between the ritualistic function emphasizing the role communication plays in bringing people together and the instrumental function articulating the impact that communication has on various health outcomes. We hypothesize that by bringing people together, interventions can stimulate ritualistic behaviors among the participants as they discuss general issues, whereas the instrumental function may be kindled when the intervention brings people together who then discuss their exposure to anemia-specific discussions. The intervention included three components-communication videos, education modules delivered by local community facilitators through activities and games, and monthly hemoglobin testing sessions. Data was collected at baseline, six months later at midline, and twenty months later at end-line. Results highlight the role of interpersonal communication in mediating IFA use. Even during social distancing, enhancing strategic interpersonal communication can result in increased IFA use.

In Uganda, adolescent pregnancy rate is at 25% among teenage girls but the prevalence of adolescent fathers is not known and their challenges are hardly addressed and needs are unmet. There is still insufficient research and policy attention paid to the psychological experiences of adolescent men in Uganda. Thus adolescent boys who unexpectedly become fathers are at a loss on how to deal with the psychosocial, emotional, and economic challenges, stigma and hostility, and in many instance have no place to go to for redress. Moreover, young boys and men are rarely brought together to discuss contraception, a practice that affirms that contraception and family planning is a female issue. In 2018 Innovation Program for Community Transformation (InPact) conducted a rapid survey in Kanungu district that led to the development of an evidence based SBC campaign focused on Adolescent Boys and Young men (ABYM) premised on a community level interpersonal approach to promote contraception among. ABYM, also conducted door to door promotion and dispensing of short term methods to female peers. Over 213 community dialogues were held, 3,848 women of reproductive age reached, 898 new users of FP served, and an estimated 12,000 people reached with FP messages.

Shujaaz is the largest youth media brand in East Africa reaching, entertaining, educating, and empowering over 9 million young people aged 15-24 in Kenya and Tanzania.
Shujaaz uses its SMS platform as part of the feedback loop to enable its 1.2 million fans to share their opinions on the media content, as well as their own stories related to the themes discussed in the analogue and digital media. 
Fans, who send Shujaaz 200+ SMS messages a day, expect more than an opportunity to evaluate the media. Periodic manual analysis of SMS and follow-up engagements with selected fans revealed that thousands of young people are looking for support at the time of crisis, including referrals to trusted, youth-friendly clinics for advice andconsultation on menstruation, contraception, and pregnancies. Inability to identify and address such cries-for-help results in fans' disappointment in Shujaaz, but most importantly leads to SRH, general, and mental health consequences that undermine youth wellbeing. 
In 2018-2021, Shujaaz worked with Rutgers on a SRH crisis campaign. Together, they analyzed SMS conversations pertaining to the campaign to identify words, word combinations, and verbal expressions young people employ to define an SRH crisis like an unintended pregnancy. The findings are now used in an on-going effort by Shujaaz to automatically identify and flag incoming crises SMS messages to enable the trained in-house team to reach out to individuals, and refer them to a relevant partner(s) in the Shujaaz network of medical and youth-friendly counseling professionals.