'Juntos para Saude' Community Health Programme

'Juntos para Saude' (Together for Health) is an innovative & successful community health education programme in northern Mozambique. 'Studies for Life' is a project within this programme that reaches 4,900 secondary school students across 7 large schools.

Its breakthrough methodology and approach has meant significant change in health behaviours & improved community health. This small grassroots project has big potential to be replicated across Mozambique.

What are some of the key factors of its success?

1. HOMEGROWN: Designed & implemented in Mozambique, it is aimed at changing attitudes & knowledge of key health practices.

2. WHO: People listen to who they trust. The programme trains trusted members of the community as health agents who disseminate the knowledge to peer educators within schools.

3. WHAT: Students get accurate facts about key health concerns so they are armed with knowledge.

4. HOW: Students get to debate the information and talk about myths that they have heard.

5. WHY: They learn the why: this matters and embeds the knowledge in their daily life. (i.e. why sleeping under a mosquito net makes a huge difference for a pregnant woman).

6. PASS ON: They are encouraged to pass on this information to benefit their community.