Everyday Behaviours sparking Collective Change

This multimedia presentation showcases a transformative Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) initiative in Kwale County, Kenya, aimed at increasing uptake of life-changing hydrocelectomy surgeries among men suffering from Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). The initiative confronts profound cultural stigma, myths of witchcraft, and economic barriers by leveraging a strategy centered on trust and relational communication. Key to its success is the use of healthcare workers and surgeons as trusted messengers who deliver critical health information in local vernacular languages. This is powerfully complemented by community champions, men who have successfully undergone the surgery, who share their personal narratives to build solidarity, demystify the procedure, and shift community mindsets. The featured video product, "Beyond the Knife, Holistic Path to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis Among Men in Kwale County" documents this journey through the voices of surgeons and patients, illustrating the restoration of dignity and social reintegration. This initiative exemplifies "Localization in Action," where communication is co-created with the community, reframing leadership as shared and change as a collaborative process. The results demonstrate a powerful model for using culturally resonant, trust-based multimedia to promote health-seeking behaviors and advance the goal of eliminating LF.

For India's Silicon Valley, aka Bengaluru, food is culture, connection and ritual. The city holds the record for the highest number of breakfasts ordered in India. But every meal leaves behind leftovers trapped in plastic dabbas (boxes), tossed away, often unwashed. For 22,500 informal waste pickers, it means hazardous work, indignity of sifting through stenchy, maggot-ridden, rotten food with bare hands, risking health and dignity.



Supported by H&M Foundation, BBC Media Action's #WashTheDabba campaign turns this invisibility into dignity. Born from the voices of waste pickers themselves, the campaign invites citizens to embrace a simple yet radical action: empty, rinse, and dry plastic food boxes, aka dabbas, before disposal. Leveraging co-created storytelling, cultural resonance, humour, and empathy, #WashTheDabba is a behavioural nudge catalysing a city-wide behaviour shift and creates new social narratives around dignity, work, and urban sustainability.



Since launch, the campaign reached 3.2 million people in Bengaluru and generated more than 15 million social media views. The message travelled through 136,000 food boxes from 36 restaurants, while 65 apartment complexes encouraged residents to adopt the practice. Independent evaluation showed strong results – 44% of respondents recalled the campaign without prompting, and 60% said they had started washing food boxes before disposing. Waste pickers at Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) also reported cleaner boxes.



The impact was systemic as well – Zomato, one of India's largest food delivery platforms, and a municipal government both adopted #WashTheDabba organically, embedding the practice into systems. Read more here.

The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying infodemic significantly disrupted vaccination and immunization efforts across Africa, prompting urgent calls for "The Big Catch-up." Amid declining demand-especially among vulnerable populations-USAID's Breakthrough ACTION project launched a bold, emotionally resonant initiative to reignite public engagement. The campaign leveraged the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the continent's most beloved football tournament, to galvanize male involvement in family health decisions and boost COVID-19 and routine childhood vaccination rates in Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
Recognizing persistent vaccine hesitancy and limited male participation in health-seeking behaviors, Breakthrough ACTION convened a participatory co-design workshop in Dar es Salaam. Football analysts, sportscasters, creative agencies, and Ministry of Health officials collaborated to develop two core Human-Centered Design (HCD) concepts: "Bring the Passion Home" encouraged men to channel their national team pride into protecting their families, while "Be the Champion Your Family Needs You to Be" reframed vaccination as a heroic, masculine act.
In partnership with Tanzanian marketing firm Khanga Rue, the #TeamVaccine campaign was born. Disseminated through TV, radio, billboards, social media, and community events, the campaign featured influencers and local champions who rallied men to join "the team that matters most"-their families. Community watch parties offered live match screenings alongside vaccination services, health information, and branded swag, creating a festive, trusted environment for health engagement.
By aligning public health goals with cultural passion points, the campaign demonstrated the power of strategic SBC to shift norms, drive demand, and promote shared responsibility for family well-being.