The goal of the Breakthrough ACTION program is to deliver effective quality social and behavior change (SBC) activities in Liberia that will result in improved demand and use of health services for malaria, maternal, neonatal, and child health and nutrition (MNCH+N); family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH); adolescent health; and water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH); and to help communities engage in behaviors that help prevent zoonotic and non-zoonotic infections in line with the Global Health Security Agenda.

This program will develop and improve the effectiveness of SBC within the USAID health portfolio to achieve better sustainable health outcomes. Objectives for this program including the following:

  • Significantly influence high impact behaviors related to malaria, MNCH+N, FP/RH, adolescent health, prevention of infectious diseases, and WASH
  • Develop SBC capacity in Liberia for innovative behavior change interventions at scale
  • Strengthen SBC implementation across different thematic areas for improved health outcomes

Current Activities:

  • Work collaboratively with County Health Teams (CHTs), USAID supported Strategic Technical Assistance for Improved Health System Performance and Health outcomes activity and Fixed Amount Reimbursable Agreement to adapt SBC interventions to the Liberian context and influence high impact behaviors related to malaria, MNCH+N, RP/FH, adolescent health, nutrition, prevention of infectious diseases, and WASH
  • Build the capacity of community structures such as opinion leaders, traditional and religious leaders, community leaders and civil society organizations to develop advocacy plans, and effectively advocate for better funding and policies by using proven processes for advocacy
  • Implement community-level events to serve as a catalyst for social change at the community level by increasing community agency, increasing community leadership, increasing a sense of ownership, encouraging social cohesion, improving social and gender norms, and increasing the degree of participation, information equity, and collective self-efficacy of communities
  • Using the recently developed Breakthrough ACTION global gender guidance and tools, identify and train Gender Champions who will be responsible for considering gender and promoting positive gender-related pathways to health in all SBC activities at the county level