KNOWLEDGE CAN EMPOWER
SIGHT AND L IFE | VOL. 31(2) | 2017
dentially; 2) it takes advantage of high levels of cell phone penetration in developing countries to reach millions of the most vulnerable; and 3) it is an effective, sustainable and cost-effective intervention provided at national scale by telecommunication companies, without donor dependency.
© HNI (CC BY-NC 2.0) hni.org
“ The 3-2-1 Service is an
The 3-2-1 Service was first developed and launched in Madagascar
effective, sustainable and cost-effective intervention provided at national scale” When resource-poor people have access to locally relevant, reliable information on the 3-2-1 Service, we see that they proactively search for the information they need. Then, armed with this information, they act to improve their health and wellbeing. Independent research studies have demonstrated the efficacy and impact of the 3-2-1 Service, most recently by GSMA in Malawi.
when she needs it, in the language she understands, using the basic cell phone she already possesses. Our messages are developed from formative research among Case Study: Malawi the population, compiled and approved by national, interna- “As a newly married young man I want to know what kind of diet tional and government experts during a well-defined “content my wife will need when she becomes pregnant.” committee” process. The messages are field-tested and updated Benson, Urban, Self-employed, 25 according to feedback from end-users. The 3-2-1 Service is innovative because 1) individuals can ac- Eighty-four percent of the 18 million people in Malawi live in cess the information that addresses their immediate needs at a rural areas where the GDP per capita is a meager US$300.3 The time and place of their choosing, both independently and confi- 3-2-1 Service launched in Malawi in 2014, and currently 150,000
figure 1: Significant nutritional knowledge results, endline vs. baseline
Could you please answer the following questions for me? N=Endline: 381, Baseline: 422 – trial & repeat users only – % of right answer What should a baby be eating in his first 6 months?
78%
When should a mother start breastfeeding her baby?
74%
How often should a mother breastfeed her baby in a day?
68%
What vitamin supplement should a mother start taking soon after giving birth?
45%
What vitamin supplement should a young child consume to prevent illness such as measles, diarrhoea and pneumonia?
Source: GSMA blog post
79%
77% 71%
Until what age should a baby or a young child be breastfed?
At what age should a young child start getting vitamin A supplements?
86%
83%
53%
At what age can new foods be introduced to a young child?
88%
35% 18%
67%
52% Endline
46%
Baseline
> Knowledge improved by 6% to 28% for all questions in the endline vs. the baseline > Knowledge on vitamin A improved the most
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