The Ghana Behavior Change Support (BCS) Project is a 4 year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported project managed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) with CARE and PLAN International in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service (GHS). The overall purpose of the project is to assist the GHS at the national, regional and district levels to support its efforts to achieve health related millennium development goals through sustained and coherent social and behavior change communication (BCC) interventions. BCS aims to increase demand and use of commodities and services and create positive behaviors in the areas of: Maternal Neonatal & Child Health Family Planning Malaria Prevention & Treatment Nutrition Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene The BCS project is audience focused and driven by the community and family level where behavior and norms are formed. The primary focus is on households with children and youth, and the communities they live in, the providers they go to, and the district and national leaders that impact them. The project employs the Communication for Social change model. This aims to blend community, interpersonal, and mass media approaches building synergy around three strategic elements or engines. BCS PLATFORMS Addressing a wide spectrum of health topics simultaneously through an integrated approach, Ghana BCS is creating educational and entertaining programs/series that will go on over the duration of the project. Utilizing BCC campaigns to focus on one or two specific health issues at a time with high intensity and limited duration. Working closely with regional, district, & sub-district health teams to build and strengthen the network of local NGOs to undertake effective and synergized community mobilization in both rural and urban settings.

• Susan Krenn, BA