Toward a Symmetrical and an Integrated Framework of Norms for Nutrition Communication in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Nutrition is crucial to national development; an undernourished or a malnourished population is at risk for infectious diseases that may reduce its working and productive capacities. Sub-Saharan Africa leads the world in the proportion of its population that is chronically malnourished. This article presents a symmetrical and an integrated framework of norms for nutrition communication. It uses three nutrition communication projects in Africa to illustrate the application of those norms. Based on that review, it concludes that a community-based framework should emphasize at the outset-and throughout program implementation and evaluation-the importance of folk media (e.g., Africa's "oramedia") as both formative and summative norms for planning, implementing, and evaluating nutrition communication programs in Africa.