The ABCs of SBC

SBC in Quality Health Information for All

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0100

This episode is in English and Spanish!

What if access to trustworthy health information was considered as important as access to healthcare itself?

In this special bilingual (English & Spanish) episode of The ABCs of SBC, recorded live at the 2026 SBCC Summit in Panama City, we explore one of the biggest public health questions of our time: what does it actually mean to ensure everyone has access to quality health information?

As social media, AI and digital platforms increasingly shape how people make decisions about their health, a new international Commission convened by Nature Medicine is working to define what "quality health information" really looks like, and how we can protect and promote it.

Featuring voices from across the Commission and UNICEF, this episode explores why accurate information alone is never enough. We discuss the roles of trust, culture, community engagement and social and behaviour change in helping people make informed decisions about their health.

A timely discussion on why quality health information isn't simply a communications challenge. It is becoming one of the defining determinants of health in the digital age.

Featuring:

Dr Scott Ratzan, Co-Chair, Nature Medicine Commission on Quality Health Information for All
Ben Johnson, Editor-in-Chief, Nature Health
Rafael Obregón, UNICEF Representative, Nicaragua
Massimiliano Sani, Global Chief of Social and Behaviour Change, UNICEF
Deepa Risal Pokharel, Senior SBC Adviser and Team Lead for Vaccine Acceptance and Demand, UNICEF

Show notes:

¿Y si acceder a información de salud confiable fuese tan importante como el acceso a los servicios de salud?

En este episodio especial bilingüe (inglés y español) de “The ABCs of SBC”, grabado en vivo durante la Conferencia de Comunicación para el Cambio Social y de Comportamiento (CCSC) 2026 en la Ciudad de Panamá, exploramos una de las preguntas más relevantes en salud pública de nuestra época: ¿qué significa realmente garantizar que todas las personas tengan acceso a información de salud de calidad?

A medida que las redes sociales, la inteligencia artificial y las plataformas digitales moldean cada vez más la forma en que las personas toman decisiones sobre su salud, una nueva comisión internacional convocada por Nature Medicine trabaja para definir en qué consiste realmente la "información de salud de calidad" y cómo podemos protegerla y promoverla.

Con la participación de representantes de la Comisión y de UNICEF, este episodio analiza por qué la información verídica, por sí sola, no es suficiente. Abordamos el rol que desempeñan la confianza, la cultura, la participación comunitaria y el cambio social y de comportamiento para ayudar a las personas a tomar decisiones informadas sobre su salud.

Una conversación oportuna sobre por qué la información de salud de calidad no es simplemente un desafío de comunicación; y cómo se está convirtiendo en uno de los determinantes clave de la salud en la era digital.

Participantes:

Dr. Scott Ratzan, copresidente de la Comisión de *Nature Medicine* sobre Información de Salud de Calidad para Todos
Ben Johnson, editor jefe de *Nature Health*
Rafael Obregón, representante de UNICEF en Nicaragua
Massimiliano Sani, jefe mundial de Cambio Social y de Comportamiento, UNICEF
Deepa Risal Pokharel, asesora sénior de Cambio Social y de Comportamiento (SBC) y líder del equipo de Aceptación y Demanda de Vacunas, UNICEF

Notas del episodio:

The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only.

The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread.

Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance.

We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

SBC in Ending Child Marriage

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0100

Every three seconds, a girl under 18 is married somewhere in the world. While global rates of child marriage have declined, millions of girls continue to face pressure to marry before they are ready, often shaped by a complex mix of social norms, economic realities, family expectations, and gender inequality. Laws matter, but as practitioners working on the issue know, legislation alone is rarely enough to change deeply rooted behaviours.

In this episode, Qali explores what it takes to address child marriage through a social and behaviour change lens. From Nepal's Rupantaran programme, which helps girls build confidence, critical thinking skills, and aspirations beyond marriage, to Zambia's Coaching Boys into Men initiative, which challenges harmful ideas about masculinity, this conversation examines how change happens when entire systems begin to shift. Along the way, you'll hear stories of girls, boys, parents, religious leaders, and communities reimagining what is possible for the next generation.

You'll hear from:

Humberto Jaime, Chief of Social and Behaviour Change, UNICEF Nepal
Pragya Shah Karki, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Nepal
Edwin Mumba, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Zambia

Resources:

Rupantaran Programme, Nepal
Coaching Boys into Men, Zambia
UNFPA–UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage
The Child Marriage Data Portal
Behavioral Surveys and Monitoring Tools for Child Protection and Harmful Practices | UNICEF SBC GUIDANCE
Online Course: Summary of Exploring the Drivers of Behaviour: The Case of Child Marriage (English version)
Online Course: Résumé de Explorer les Facteurs Comportementaux : Le Cas du Mariage d'Enfants (French version)

SBC in Behavioural Insight Units in Government

Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 +0100

For decades, governments have tackled public health challenges with clear policies and well-funded campaigns, only to find that the outcomes don't always follow. Information alone rarely changes what people do. Across the world, behavioural insights units have quietly taken root inside governments, helping policymakers understand why people behave as they do, and what it actually takes to shift decisions in everyday life.

In this episode, Qali follows the setup of a new Behavioural Insights Hub in Sri Lanka, a partnership between the Ministry of Health and UNICEF. From the first week-long workshop with senior health officials, to early interest from the President's office, to the disruption of Cyclone Ditwah just as the work was getting underway, this discussion explores what it takes to build behavioural science capacity inside government, and why the slower work of testing, learning, and embedding new ways of thinking is where real change happens.

You'll hear from:

Dr Ranjith Batuwanthudawe, Director of the Health Promotion Bureau, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka
Ukasha Ramli, Global Behavioural Science Lead at UNICEF
Ravinda Panchal Abeysinghe Wanninayake Mudiyanselage, Social and Behaviour Change Officer at UNICEF Sri Lanka
Dr. Senal Fernando, Medical Officer - Health Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka
Dr. Ganga Tennakoon, Registrar - Health Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka
Dr. Amanthi Bandusena, Consultant Community Physician - Health Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka

Resources:

Video on the Behaviour Insights training conducted in Sri Lanka
Please email sbc@unicef.org to learn more about UNICEF's work supporting behavioural insights units inside government

SBC in Ending Violence in Schools

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

A good school is a place where a child learns one powerful belief: I matter.

When children feel safe, heard, and valued at school, it can change everything - how they see themselves, how they learn, and how they imagine their future. Yet for millions of children around the world, violence remains a routine part of school life, shaping childhoods in ways that are both harmful and deeply normalized.

In this episode of The ABCs of SBC, we explore how social and behavior change approaches are helping to transform schools - and why ending violence in education systems is both possible and essential. Drawing on powerful stories and evidence from Uganda and beyond, we unpack what it truly takes to build a “good school.”

Qali is joined by three leaders working at the forefront of education and child protection:

Dipak Naker, Executive Director of the Coalition for Good Schools
Gemma Wilson-Clark, Head of Secretariat, Safe to Learn Coalition
Hope Wambi, Violence Against Children Prevention Coordinator at Raising Voices

Together, they examine why laws alone are not enough, how deeply held beliefs about discipline and power shape school culture, and what it means to take a whole-school, system-wide approach to change. You’ll hear how shifting social norms, redistributing power, and giving children real voice and agency can dramatically reduce violence — including evidence from the Good School Toolkit, which reduced corporal punishment by over 40% in participating schools.

From classrooms to communities to national policy, this episode shows that when schools change, childhoods change.

Resources:

Data Science and SBC

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

How can behavioural data science improve social and behaviour change (SBC) programs? Where do machine learning and AI genuinely add value? And what can goat markets teach us about human behaviour?

In this episode, we explore the emerging field of behavioural data science: how it reveals patterns, frictions, and hidden levers in datasets that weren’t necessarily collected with human behaviour in mind.

Recorded at the Behavioural Horizons Workshop at UNICEF’s Office of Strategy and Evidence (Innocenti) in Florence, we hear from behavioural scientists, data scientists, and humanitarian practitioners working at the frontier. They share why better data starts with better questions, why context and culture still matter in a world of algorithms, and how behavioural data science can narrow the gap between evidence, decisions, and people’s lived realities. It’s a candid look at the opportunities, risks, and human choices that determine whether behavioural data science can help drive meaningful behaviour change.

You’ll hear from:

Benjamin Hickler, UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence, Innocenti
Luke Montuori, Senior Psychometrician
Rebecca Moreno Jimenez, Innovation Team, UNHCR
Rafael Batista, Princeton University
Chiara Cappellini, Behavioural Science Group, UAE
Alexandra DeFilippo, Sistema Futura
Patrick Forscher, Busara Center for Behavioural Science

Resources:

Learn more about UNICEF Innocenti (https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/)
Learn more about UNICEF BIRD Lab (https://www.unicefbirdlab.org/)

SBC in Faith Engagement to End Harmful Practices

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0100

For generations, harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage have been justified as traditions of identity and belonging, and have, at times, been linked to misinterpretations of religious text – even as they cause life long harm. Today, faith leaders across Africa and the Middle East are reshaping these beliefs from within their own communities, using their moral authority and influence to redefine these traditions and protect the next generation.

In this episode, Qali Id speaks with faith leaders and UNICEF specialists from Uganda, The Gambia, and Iraq to explore how faith engagement is helping end harmful practices, in particular FGM. From sermons that reinterpret religious teachings, to interfaith alliances confronting resistance, to tea-circle conversations that replace top-down campaigns, this discussion reveals how transformation takes root when it begins within communities themselves.

You’ll hear from:

Sheikh Abdallah Sabila, Imam and advocate from Uganda
Dr. Nassim Majidi, Director and Co-founder of Samuel Hall, Kenya
Momat Jallow, SBC Specialist at UNICEF The Gambia
Hadeer Albo Heae, SBC Manager at UNICEF Iraq

Resources:

UNICEF Faith Engagement guide on Harmful Practices, developed in collaboration with Religious for Peace and Samuel Hall
Do you want to learn more on how does Social and Behaviour Change supports interventions in Child Protection? Tune in to our ABCs of SBC podcast’s episode on SBC in Social Norms and Harmful Practices, SBC in Preventing Violence Against Girls, Boys and Women, and SBC in Online Child Protection.

SBC in Community System Strengthening

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0100

Sudan is living through war and mass displacement. Yemen faces one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises. And in Moldova, far from active conflict but still grappling with inequality, Roma communities remain excluded from the very systems meant to serve them. Across these vastly different contexts, one question emerges: how do communities themselves step in to sustain and shape the systems around them?

In this episode, host Qali Id speaks with UNICEF SBC specialists from Sudan, Yemen, and Moldova to explore the unexpected power of trust, local leadership, and cultural respect in strengthening systems. From youth-run resistance committees, to volunteer health networks, to trusted Roma leaders bridging gaps in access, this conversation highlights how Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) enables communities not just to survive—but to lead the way toward more inclusive and resilient futures.

You'll hear from:

Maha Abasher Khalid Osman, SBC Specialist at UNICEF Sudan
Cristina Stratulat, SBC Officer at UNICEF Moldova
Abdullah Alshehari, SBC Specialist at UNICEF Yemen

Resources:

Related episodes:

SBC in Online Child Protection

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0100

The internet is where kids learn, play, and connect, but it’s also where they can be bullied, exploited, surveilled, and manipulated. As digital threats evolve faster than the systems designed to protect children, how do we keep them safe in a world that’s always online?

From outdated legal frameworks to overwhelmed parents and disconnected protection services, this episode highlights not just the risks children face online, but the opportunities to involve them and their caregivers as co-designers of safer digital spaces, and how SBC offers a way forward.

You'll hear from:

Afrooz Kaviani Johnson, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF Headquarters
Mahwish Saeed Syed, SBC Officer at UNICEF Pakistan
Saji Thomas, Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF Gulf Area Office

Resources:

“Digitial Parenting” on the Parent Hub
Explore how UNICEF is tackling violence and exploitation in the digital environment, including a range of actions for parents, governments and companies to keep children safe online.

SBC in Community Delivery Platforms

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0100

What if healthcare systems weren't just centralized services but dynamic partnerships rooted in trust, relevance, and equity?

That’s the driving vision behind Community Delivery Platforms. In this episode we talk about collaborations among governments, local communities, UNICEF, and partner organizations to make essential health and nutrition services accessible to every mother, child, and household, no matter where they live.

Join host Qali Id as we unpack the strategies, struggles, and successes of community delivery platforms, with insights from:

Afrika Mukaneto, SBC Specialist, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia
Waqas Shafi, SBC Specialist, UNICEF Pakistan
Bridget Job Johnson, Chief of SBC, UNICEF Bangladesh

Want to learn more about how SBC can be used to strengthen systems? Check out episode 5, on SBC in Support of Systems Strengthening. We’ll also have another episode coming out soon on Community System Strengthening - stay tuned.

Resources:

SBC in the Mpox Response

Tue, 13 May 2025 06:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Qali dives into the unfolding mpox outbreaks in Central and West Africa. With new patterns of transmission, rising child mortality, and deep-rooted stigma, frontline responders in DRC and Burundi are rewriting the old playbooks in real time. Join UNICEF SBC experts as they unpack what worked, what fell short, and how communities, digital tools, and gender-aware strategies are shaping the response. This episode unpacks the opportunities taken, missed, and what must be done to prepare better for the next outbreak.

Guests (in order of appearance)

Vincent Petit, UNICEF SBC Global Lead
Gaoussou Nabalom, SBC and Risk Communication and Community Engagement Coordinator, UNICEF Burundi
Norman Muhwezi, former UNICEF OIC Chief of SBC in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Innovation Specialist

Resources

Risk communication and community engagement for mpox vaccination in eastern DRC
Mpox, mining, and vulnerabilities of women and children in eastern DRC
Meeting report: Mpox and discrimination in African settings
How to achieve and sustain high uptake of mpox vaccination in outbreak settings
How to Address stigma during mpox response
Guidance for RCCE practitioners on mpox (ENG and FRA)
5 Tips for CHW and Vaccinators (ENG and FRA)

SBC in Immunisation

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI), a global initiative to get vaccines to every child, everywhere. While much progress has been made over the last 50 years, there is still much more work to be done to ensure equitable access to vaccines for all.

In this episode, Qali speaks with immunisation experts to understand what Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) can bring to the challenge of reaching everyone and navigating vaccination in a world still recovering from the impacts of COVID-19.

Guests (in order of appearance)

Francine Ganter Restrepo, SBC Specialist, Immunisation and Health, UNICEF East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO)
Heidi Larson, Founder and Director of The Vaccine Confidence Project
Dr. Saad Omer, Dean, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health

Resources (in order of mention)

Global immunization efforts have saved at least 154 million lives over the past 50 years, UNICEF Armenia
NYHQ ED Russell World Immunization Week 2024
50th Anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization
Finding the missing link: Improving vaccination coverage in zero dose communities with human-centred design, UNICEF
- Final Report
- Executive Summary
Humanly Possible: Immunization for all, UNICEF
SBC in Support of System Strengthening

SBC in Mental Health

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000

It is estimated that globally, 1 in 7 young people between 10 and 19-year-old experience mental health conditions that remain largely unrecognized and untreated. How can something so prevalent often remain invisible? What can SBC do to bring mental health forward and connect those struggling with the support they need?

In this episode, Qali speaks with experts working to improve Mental Health and Psychosocial Support across Africa. Listen in to see what methods, interventions and priorities are driving mental health programmes in societies where challenges such as stigma take precedent.

Guests (in order of appearance)

Sergiy Prokhorov, SBC Specialist, Previously UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO)
Joanne Lee, Mental Health Specialist, UNICEF ESARO
Bhai Shelly, SBC Specialist, UNICEF Rwanda

Resources (in order of mention)

Mental health of adolescents, World Health Organization
Concern grows in Kenya after alarming rise in suicide cases, The Guardian
UNICEF SBC Toolkit for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
Talking in Circles (pg. 24) in UNICEF’s latest issue of Change Magazine

Localization in Action

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:00:00 +0000

How can we adapt SBC approaches to speak to the different cultures and languages of the people we serve? For example, what does human-centred design look like in Indigenous communities, where writing and drawing are uncommon modes of communication?

In this episode we dig into one of SBC’s superpowers—to connect with communities, unearth local insights and drive solutions rooted in what people value and how they operate. In this episode, Qali speaks with SBC practitioners in South Sudan, Nicaragua and Afghanistan to explore what localization looks like in action.

Guests (in order of appearance)

Gema Espinoza, SBC officer at UNICEF Nicaragua
Emma Mafara, SBC specialist at UNICEF South Sudan
Rahmatullah Niazmal, SBC Specialist at UNICEF Afghanistan

Resources (in order of mention)

SBC in Social Norms and Harmful Practices

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

How do you say hello? Do you shake hands? Do you give a kiss on either cheek? Do you bend at the waist to give a bow? These gestures are automatic. We may not even notice we do them at all.

This episode is about Social Norms, the unwritten rules that dictate everything we do - from how we greet each other to how we raise and view our children. Can Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) help protect children from harmful practices held together by deeply entrenched social norms?

In this episode, Qali speaks with experts who have dedicated their lives to researching and working with communities to prevent harmful practices upheld by social norms.

Guests (in order of appearance)

Zemzem Shikur, Child Protection Specialist and Focal Point for Community Engagement at UNICEF Ethiopia
Dr. Ben Cislaghi, Humanising Development Collective and Child Frontiers
Joyce Odame, Child Protection Officer and SBC Focal Point for Community Engagement at UNICEF Ghana
Josue Ango, Child Protection Officer at UNICEF Burkina Faso

Resources (in order of mention + more!)

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), UNICEF Data
Using social norms theory for health promotion in low-income countries
Directoriate engages Communities on child Marriage
See Married off in Mozambique (pg. 20) and Talking in Circles (pg. 24) for interventions that deal with social norms in UNICEF’s latest issue of Change Magazine
Social Norms Tool
For an easy overview of social norms are and are not, see Defining Social Norms and Related Concepts (UNICEF, 2021)
- English
- French

SBC in Support of System Strengthening

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0100

Systems - you may not see them or feel them but they’re there. When vaccines feel out of reach or voting too arduous a task, it means our systems may need some TLC, R&D and perhaps, SBC?

If you’ve ever wondered about the systems that get vaccines to your arm, mail to your door, and food on your plate - this episode is for you. Qali speaks with Vincent Petit, Global Lead of Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) at UNICEF on why SBC is key to strengthening our systems and preparing for the crises to come.

Resources (in order of mention)

Keep an eye our for the launch of UNICEF SBC’s upcoming magazine on sbcguidance.org or follow Vincent on LinkedIn for updates.

SBC in the Planetary Crisis

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0100

Every year, world leaders convene at the UN Climate Change Conference to discuss the urgency of climate change and the need for equitable, people-centred solutions. Could Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) have the chops to tackle such a massive challenge? Can SBC shed some light on the age-old debate on individual change versus system change to reduce emissions?

In this episode, Qali speaks with experts to understand what SBC can tell us about how to navigate an issue that affects us all, but certainly not in the same ways.

Guests (in order of appearance)

Mónica Wills-Silva, Director of International Programmes EMEA at the Behavioural Insights Team
Kash Ramli, Senior Advisor for Behavioral Science at UNICEF
Xaher Gul, Public Health Physician and Development Practitioner
Jon Bonifacio, Environmental Activist and National Coordinator of Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment
Georgina Avlonitis, Urban Ecologist and Programme Manager at UNEP

Resources (in order of mention)

SBC in Preventing Violence Against Girls, Boys and Women

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0100

Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategies have a proven track record in influencing positive choices, from healthy eating to civic engagement. But what about a deeply entrenched and nuanced social issue like violence against girls, boys and women.

In this episode, we delve into the complexities of this issue and explore existing SBC interventions working to dismantle these harmful norms. Join Qali on a journey from Honduras to South Africa, as she dives deep into the trenches with experts who are on the ground, working to address the root causes of domestic violence.

Please be advised: There will be mentions of violence throughout this episode.

Guests (in order of appearance)

Mónica Wills-Silva, Director of International Programmes EMEA at the Behavioural Insights Team
Garth Japhet, CEO of Heartlines
Laura de Molière, former Head of Behavioural Science for the UK Government’s Cabinet Office

Resources (in order of mention)

SBC in Emergency Settings

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Sure, Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) can help people make healthier food choices and complete important civic processes like voting or registration. But what can SBC do in moments of duress? When conflict erupts? When a natural disaster strikes? When a new virus breaks loose? Does SBC have a role to play in a rapidly unfolding emergency? Can it serve and protect the communities most affected by these emergencies?

In this episode, Qali speaks to SBC practitioners who have responded to emergencies from Lebanon to Mozambique to understand whether SBC can truly serve vulnerable populations in humanitarian emergencies.

Guests (in order of appearance)

Luca Solimeo, Chief of Social and Behaviour Change at UNICEF Lebanon
Xaher Gul, Public Health Physician and Development Practitioner
Mónica Wills-Silva, Director of International Programmes EMEA at the Behavioural Insights Team
Naureen Naqvi, Lead SBC Specialist in Humanitarian Action at UNICEF
Mariana Palavra, Social and Behaviour Change Specialist - Emergency Response Team (ERT) at UNICEF

Resources (in order of mention)

The ABCs of SBC

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) brings together a variety of tools to shift the way people and societies behave. When applied to policy, it’s helped reduce traffic deaths. When brought into clinics, it’s helped tuberculosis patients complete their treatments. When brought to US college campuses, it can even help explain why students won’t stop binge drinking. In this episode, Qali speaks to SBC practitioners at UNICEF and beyond about behavioural theory and the power of social norms and how to leverage them for positive change.

More resources on Antanas Mockus:

Guests

Mónica Wills-Silva, Director of International Programmes EMEA at the Behavioural Insights Team
Xaher Gul, Public Health Physician and Development Practitioner
Naureen Naqvi, Lead SBC Specialist in Humanitarian Action at UNICEF
Laura de Molière, former Head of Behavioural Science for the UK Government’s Cabinet Office
Deborah Prentice, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge

Resources

Trailer

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 02:00:00 +0000

The ABCs of SBC is a new podcast from UNICEF that explores what Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) is and whether it can move the needle forward on some of the world's most complex challenges. Tune in weekly to uncover the limits and possibilities of SBC — without the complexity, while on your commute.

Stay tuned for the first episode launching March 18th.