NAIROBI, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Grassroots-led campaigns to promote a paradigm shift in behaviors, norms and attitudes is key to achieve key sustainable development goals in Africa, experts said at a forum in Nairobi on Tuesday.
The experts who spoke at the inaugural Africa social and behavior change conference said that a cultural shift is required to find durable solutions to Africa's perennial challenges like poverty, disease, hunger, inequality and environmental degradation.
"As a continent, we need to start a conversation on how social behavior change can catalyze sustainable development by addressing pressing challenges like gender based violence, infant mortality, malaria, HIV/Aids and climate change," said Rashid Aman,chief administrative secretary in Kenya's ministry of health.
More than 500 delegates including policy makers, researchers, business leaders and campaigners are attending the three-day Pan African forum on harnessing behavior change to achieve inclusive growth.
Kenya's ministry of health in conjunction with international charities and local private sector organized the conference to explore new strategies that can promote behavior change in the context of sustainable development.
Aman said that public awareness targeting local communities should inform interventions to eliminate public health challenges that are linked to harmful cultural practices.
"We need to develop social and behavior change programs focused on improving the well-being of our communities," said Aman adding that behavior change advocacy has boosted health and nutrition outcomes in Kenya.
African countries should develop targeted behavior change advocacy programs to enable communities discard outdated cultural practices that are detrimental to health and well-being of critical demographics like women, children and youth.
Joyce Wanderi, chief executive officer of Population Services Kenya said that investments in behavior change campaigns are key to realize social and economic transformation in Africa.
"All of us should be part of the emerging discourse around social and behavior change as an avenue for transforming the African continent," said Wanderi.
She underscored the role of digital innovations to revitalize behavior change campaigns focusing on harmful practices like female genital cut and early marriages that have worsened gender inequality in Africa.
