The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative

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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Food Insecurity and Nutrition Situation

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Author Rana Tassawar Ali, posted February 21 2014, cross-posted March 6 2014: Food insecurity is one of the most serious threats facing vulnerable people in Pakistan. The overall food insecurity and hunger situation in the country is very serious, 58 percent of households are food insecure. This includes all households with food insecurity, as well as those with severe hunger. It is a fact that nearly half of all children in Pakistan are malnourished. In Pakistan, this ongoing condition affects our children’s physical and mental growth, and this situation is worse than in much of sub-Saharan Africa.

The current crisis in Pakistan has an estimated cost to the economy of 3 percent GDP [gross domestic product] per year due to the impact of the nutrition situation on learning, earning and health. The good practices show that if nutrition is improved, growth of the GDP is improved. Pakistan is currently facing multi-sectorial challenges of: a low level of economic growth and an ongoing war on terror, corruption, and poor understanding of the issue of food security.

In a country like Pakistan, almost 14 percent of girls are married by age 15 and more than half are married by age of 18. The evidence shows that early marriage is a lead reason for under-nutrition in two ways: first, the health and nutrition status of these adolescent girls and young women themselves shows under-nourishment. The resulting risks increase their chances of giving birth to underweight children.

According to experts we must analyse existing solutions to tackle these challenges; and, if the government implements only the health sector intervention for addressing malnutrition, the rate of stunting (chronic malnutrition) will be reduced. The experts are also agreed that the government should implement a comprehensive and integrated approach through linking other sectors, such as social protection, water and sanitation, agriculture, and education, so that they play their part for improving food insecurity and the nutritional situation. On another side, serious commitments are required from leadership to plan and implement multi-sectorial interventions.

Using another strategy, if less than one-third of pregnant mothers receive the recommended vitamins and minerals in pregnancy, it will improve the health status of pregnant women; and, if the government understands and addresses the needs of specific groups that are at risk, it will provide immediate results.

Food insecurity and malnutrition are most serious public health problems; and, for prevention and correction, malnutrition requires targeted treatment of severely malnourished children and communities. The addressing of overall problems regarding food insecurity and malnutrition situation requires an investment in this sector; and, after decentralization, the provincial governments must design and implement integrated strategies for an effective multi-sectorial package for high impact intervention to scale up nutrition in the country. This is a fact: that addressing malnutrition and food insecurity issues is the best investment for Pakistan, where families will be healthier, wealthier, and better educated.

Click here to read the original blog in the Pakistan Observer.