Marketing Innovations for Health (MIH)

MIH is a four-year project that started in July 2012 under a cooperative agreement with USAID.

SMC is implementing this integrated social marketing program along with several local and international partners, to help bring about behavior change and improve health practices, increase access to and use of family planning products including Long Acting Reversible Contraceptive methods, Reproductive Health and Nutritional products, and improve the capacity of community based health practitioners in the private sector.

The program is implementing community mobilization activities in 19 low-performing districts of Bangladesh.

In addition, it includes national distribution and communication of existing SMC products as well as several new innovations through the private sector.

SMC partners in the project include BRAC, Concerned Women for Family Development (CWFD), Population Services and Training Centre (PSTC) and Shimantik. Engender Health and PSI are associated as training and technical partners respectively.

Under MIH, SMC is implementing a large health communications program with focused messaging on five core communication areas as follows: Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancies; First 1000 Days of a Childs life (from conception to 2-years of age); Healthy Pregnancy; Adolescent Health; TB Prevention and Management.

The program will also expand SMCs network of Blue Star providers and build capacity of formal and non-formal health providers through basic and refreshers training.