Communication Strategy for ASTHA Project

Project Brief

Under this assignment, SoMaSHTe developed a communication strategy for a Swisscontact project, namely Improving Rural Healthcare Service through Community Paramedic Programme (IRHSCPP), also known as ASTHA (Achieving Sustainability towards Healthcare Access). The project’s main target group is the rural health-service-seeking population, and it has activities with community paramedics (CP) and community paramedic training institutions. The revised communication strategy addressed the gaps of existing communication efforts and included messages and media for raising awareness among the rural population to strengthen CP-based healthcare services.

Objective

To review the existing communication strategy and minimize the gaps identified in the assessment carried out by the ASTHA project and outline how to resolve the communication issues. 

The specific objectives of the revised communication strategy were to:

  • Identify strategies to raise community awareness.
  • Outline/revise the key messages and approaches, and channels.

Major Activities

Set the research protocol and developed research tools for focus group discussions and interviews.

  • Conducted field research to identify gaps and communication needs.
  • Set up revised communication objectives.
  • Developed core messages for specific groups of project audiences.
  • Determined communication approaches and channels.
  • Community-based communication event observation.
  • Tested the messages.
  • Finalized the strategy.

Project Period

August-November 2017
 
This assignment was funded by the Swisscontact’s ASTHA project.

Focus group discussion with community paramedics in Nilphamari.

Focus group discussion with rural women in Nilphamari.