July 2025 — In a landmark move to accelerate progress on children’s rights and well-being across Africa, UNICEF has officially launched the Academia for Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Network. This pioneering initiative brings together 24 universities from 16 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, forming a powerful coalition to embed social and behaviour science at the heart of sustainable development.

Historic partnership for Africa’s future

At a high-level signing ceremony held on 1 July 2025 in Nairobi, academic institutions formalized their commitment through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNICEF. The agreement marks a shared pledge to advance SBC approaches, strategies that focus on understanding and influencing human behaviour to drive lasting, community-led change through research, education, and policy engagement.

“Social and behaviour change is not a side component it is central to achieving sustainable development outcomes for children,” said Alison Parker, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. “This Network will strengthen the evidence base, build critical skills and connect academic insight with real-world action.”

Shared vision for localized, evidence-based impact

The Network is rooted in the belief that context-specific SBC strategies are essential to addressing complex challenges such as child protection, health, nutrition, education, hygiene and sanitation and climate resilience. It aligns with key frameworks including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

“This is more than a platform, it’s a dynamic movement to connect, learn and lead together,” said Siddartha (Sid) Shrestha, UNICEF ESARO’s SBC Regional Advisor. He hailed the rapid expansion of the Network from a handful of institutions to over 24 universities, as a testament to the region’s shared commitment to transformative change.

Voices from across the continent

Participating institutions include Makerere University (Uganda), University of Nairobi (Kenya), WITS University (South Africa) and University of Zambia, among others. University leaders emphasized the importance of turning academic knowledge into social impact:

“This partnership is about turning social science into social impact,” said Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor of Makerere University.

“It’s a platform to generate evidence that reflects our lived realities,” added Professor Ruksana Osman, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at WITS University.

Other leaders echoed these sentiments:

• Mrs. Kayitare Tengera Françoise, Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance at the University of Rwanda, praised the Network for fostering mutual learning.

• Professor Hashim Hamza Chande, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the State University of Zanzibar, highlighted their collaboration with UNICEF on climate action and waste management.

• Professor Robert Mayom Kuoirot Deng, Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, emphasized the importance of collective action to end child marriage.

Innovative initiatives across the region

Universities showcased diverse efforts to advance SBC:

• University of Zambia: Developed a Centre of Excellence for Health Promotion.

• Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia): Launching an SBC department and Masters’ program.

• Midlands State University (Zimbabwe): Advancing research in early childhood development.

• Université des Comores: Integrating SBC into doctoral programs.

• Université Catholique de Madagascar: Establishing a Centre for Resilience and Behaviour Change.

• University of Botswana: Embedding SBC in curriculum and research.

Online participants also contributed:

• Dr. Herkulaas Combrink, Co-Director Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures, University of the Free State, South Africa: emphasized collaboration on risk communication and AI-powered innovation.

• Dr. Mufunanji Wilard Magalasi, Executive Dean, School of Arts, Communication and Design, University of Malawi: offered institutional support for regional SBC initiatives.

• Professor Tobias Chirwa, Head of the School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand) highlighted the importance of tools and resources to sustain impactful SBC programming.

Four Strategic Pillars of the Academia for SBC Network

Gaia Chiti Strigelli, SBC Specialist presented the Network’s coordination framework, including a taskforce and a digital platform to support collaboration. The Network is built on four strategic pillars:

1. Knowledge and Skills building: Harmonized curricula, training, and certification for SBC practitioners.

2. Evidence generation and dissemination: Rigorous, localized research to inform policy and programming.

3. Network development: Strengthening cross-country collaboration and capacity in SBC.

4. Policy influence and practice: Bridging academic insight with real-world implementation.

A dedicated digital platform will serve as a hub for knowledge exchange, peer learning, and co-creation.

Looking ahead: From Vision to Action

In the coming months, the Network will:

• launch a shared SBC research agenda

• convene an annual symposium

• publish a flagship report

• work toward professional accreditation, Centres of Excellence and joint resource mobilization

“Behaviours drive societies, and that’s why this Network is so important,” said Alison Parker. “It’s about building the soft skills and capacities that truly make a difference at the community level.”

This initiative builds on over five decades of UNICEF’s leadership in SBC and reflects a deep commitment to partnerships that ensure every child not only survives but thrives in safe, supportive environments shaped by informed, empowered communities.