The USAID Jordan Community Health and Nutrition (CHN) activity works to improve community outreach channels to achieve better child and maternal health outcomes. The project accelerates maternal, child and family health outcomes using a systems approach that engages and empowers communities as champions of their own health.

Social and behavior change efforts include:

• Enhanced dietary diversity during pregnancy
• Immediate breastfeeding of newborns
• Exclusive breastfeeding through 6 months of age and continued breastfeeding through 2 years of age
• Timely introduction of appropriate complementary foods
• Use of modern contraceptive methods postpartum
• Promotion of healthy family diets

The project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, measures achievements through improvements in infant and young child feeding practices, optimal birth spacing through postpartum family planning and continuation of modern contraception methods, and improved family dietary practices through an evidence-based sustainable approach. The project will develop a comprehensive social and behavior change strategy grounded in formative research and delivered through multiple channels to improve household and community level knowledge, skills and support. CHN will also design and implement a social franchise model of service provision to improve health care provider practices and several interventions to enhance community-facility linkages.

FHI 360’s community outreach expertise was key to the Ministry of Health’s effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through social marketing messages. The national TV and radio campaign, I Protect Them, focuses on wearing masks properly, social distancing, avoiding social gatherings and promoting social norms for declining social occasions that may pose a health risk.