This publication tells the story of the Shaping Demand and Practices (SDP) project and its impact. SDPs aim was to tackle the appallingly high maternal, new-born and child mortality rates in Bihar, using several different forms of communication to help shape health behaviour and social norms.
The briefing documents a particular approach to project design and implementation that proved effective in achieving change in the highly challenging environment of Bihar and in developing health communication solutions that could be scaled up nationally. It also recommends strategies for sustaining the life of donor-funded health communication efforts, including the importance of establishing effective partnerships with government, characterised by co-design, flexibility and capacity strengthening support.