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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. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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Nutrition education to improve dietary intake and micronutrient nutriture among children in less-resourced areas: A randomized controlled intervention in Kabarole district, Western Uganda

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Kabahenda, M., R. M. Mullis, et al. (2011). "Nutrition education to improve dietary intake and micronutrient nutriture among children in less-resourced areas: A randomized controlled intervention in Kabarole district, Western Uganda." South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition 24(2): 83-88.

Objective: To determine whether nutrition education targeting the child-feeding practices of low- income rural caregivers will reduce anaemia and improve vitamin A nutriture of the young children in their care.

Design: A controlled intervention trial, based on experiential learning theory. Forty-six women completed a nine-session nutrition education programme, while controls (n = 43) concurrently engaged in sewing classes.

Setting: Two rural farming communities in the Kabarole district, western Uganda.

Subjects: Less literate, low-income rural female caregivers and the children in their care (6-48 months).

Outcome measures: Caregivers' child-feeding practices and the children's nutritional status were assessed at baseline, one month after intervention (Follow-up 1) and one year from baseline (Follow-up 2).

Results: Caregivers in the intervention group reported improved child snacking patterns, food-selection practices, meal adequacy, and food variety. Children in the intervention group recorded lower haemoglobin levels at baseline (9.86 vs. 10.70 g/dl) and caught up with controls at Follow-up 1 (10.06 vs. 10.78 g/dl). However, changes were not sustained. Mean retinol-binding protein improved from 0.68 μmol/l (95% CI: 0.57-0.78) to 0.91 μmol/l (95% CI: 0.78-1.03) among intervention children, but remained approximately the same in controls. Vitamin A nutriture was influenced by infections.

Conclusion: Nutrition education significantly improved feeding practices and children's nutritional status. The effectiveness and sustainability of this programme can be enhanced if nutrition education is integrated into other food-production and public health programmes.