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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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Feasibility of Integrating Early Stimulation into Primary Care for Undernourished Jamaican Children: Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

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Powell, C., Baker-Henningham, H., Walker, S.  Gernay, J. & Grantham-McGregor, S.M. (2004). Feasibility of Integrating Early Stimulation into Primary Care for Undernourished Jamaican Children: Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial. British Medical Journal, 329, 89–92.

Abstract

Objectives :To assess the feasibility of integrating early psychosocial stimulation into primary care for undernourished children and to determine the effect on children's development and mothers' knowledge and practices of childrearing.

Design :Cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting: 18 clinics in three Jamaican parishes.

Participants :139 undernourished children aged 9 to 30 months and their mothers enrolled in intervention or control clinics.

Interventions:Weekly home visits by community health aides for one year in addition to usual duties. Parenting issues were discussed with the mothers and play activities were demonstrated with the children using homemade materials.

Main outcome: measures Children's scores on the Griffiths mental development scales and mothers' knowledge and practices of childrearing measured by questionnaires.

Results: Children from the intervention group showed significant improvements in development: developmental quotient, 7.8 points (95% confidence interval 4.5 to 11.1); hearing and speech, 10.7 (5.9 to 15.4 points); hand and eye coordination, 6.8 (3.4 to 10.1 points); and performance subscale, 11.0 (5.6 to 16.4 points). No improvements were shown on the locomotor subscale. The mothers from the intervention group showed improved knowledge and practices of childrearing. Change in children's body mass index and height independently affected change in development.

Conclusion: Integrating parenting skills and early psychosocial stimulation for undernourished children into primary care was feasible and effective in improving the children's development and mothers' knowledge and practices of childrearing.