A Study of Strategic Communication Employed to Communicate Teenage Pregnancy by Care for Child and Family Organization (CCF) and Health Office: The Case of Boset Woreda

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Date

2021-01

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AAU

Abstract

The study explores the communication strategy employed in preventing teenage pregnancy and reproductive health problems by CCF and Health Office in Boset Woreda. As the researcher observed during field work, there are teenage mothers with their babies in that area where he would be able to watch in different situations and sparked to do the research on the gap of communication of reproductive health issue to create awareness. The research discusses the communication strategy that designed to prevent teenage pregnancy. The research was framed by SBCC intervention approach and employed qualitative data collection methods. Accordingly, in-depth interviews, document analysis and observation were undertaken and expert from health Office and NGO were involved in the interview, and 5 volunteer teenage girls were also interviewed. All the data were transcribed and analyzed based on SBBC theoretical framework. The research analyzes how strategic communication is designed, how message is developed, what means of communication and channel is used and what enabling environment was created participating stakeholders, individual and community in process of strategic planning and the challenge of health experts. The finding indicate that the communication structure is centralized and do not have bottom up communication structure approach. Moreover, during planning process and implementing stage, stakeholders are not participating to work collaboratively. CCF and Health Office organizations use interpersonal communication rather than mass communication or integrated mid-media so that the community could not be able to get reach information. The researcher recommends that to be effective in designing communication strategy, participation of stakeholders always involved in the research, planning, implementation, and evaluation of health communication hence behavioral and social change are more likely to occur if people are part of the process and feel sense of ownership. Moreover, decentralization approach is more fruitful and using mass communication and interpersonal communication is recommended.

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study explores the communication strategy employed in preventing teenage pregnancy

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