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The ABCs of SBC

The ABCs of SBC

Written by: UNICEF SBC
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How does social and behaviour change support child rights? We are on a mission to find out.

Through interviews with experts from across the globe, this podcast explores what Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) is and whether it can move the needle forward in the battle for gender equality, climate action, and other complex challenges. Tune in to hear Social and Behaviour Change practitioners across a variety of disciplines share their knowledge, learnings, and experience on whether SBC can help us achieve better outcomes for children across the globe.

Uncover the limits and possibilities of SBC in various global issues — without the complexity, while on your commute.

Learn more about UNICEF SBC at www.sbcguidance.org


© 2026 The ABCs of SBC Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Making Healthy Foods Desirable

    Making Healthy Foods Desirable
    Aug 7 2026

    Every culture has foods that carry meaning far beyond nutrition. In Rwanda, milk has long symbolised prosperity and celebration. Eggs, on the other hand, were something to sell, not something many families thought to feed their young children.

    So how do you change the meaning of a food?

    We travel to Rwanda to explore the "One Egg per Child, Every Day" campaign, and the broader First Foods Africa initiative. Along the way, we discover why nutrition isn't just about what's available or what people know. It's about identity, emotion, social norms, and even marketing.

    Featuring Rowena Merritt (UNICEF), Bhai Shelley (UNICEF Rwanda), and Alice Mwizerwa (Heza Initiative), this episode explores how social marketing techniques normally used to sell junk food were repurposed to make healthy foods desirable; how communities built their own poultry businesses to overcome local barriers; and why lasting behaviour change means creating demand that can outlive donor funding.

    It's a story about far more than eggs. It's about what happens when healthy food becomes something people genuinely want - and how changing the meaning of a single food can help change children's futures.

    Episode speakers:

    • Rowena Merritt - Social and Behaviour Change Specialist - Nutrition at UNICEF
    • Bhai Shelly - Former Social & Behaviour Change Chief, UNICEF Rwanda
    • Alice Mwizerwa – Head of Heza Initiative

    Resources:

    • First Foods Africa (UNICEF, Sept 2025).
    • One Egg per Child, Every Day (Rwanda, 2022–23)


    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.
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • SBC in Quality Health Information for All

    SBC in Quality Health Information for All
    Jul 8 2026
    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 AllBen Johnson, Editor-in-Chief, Nature HealthRafael Obregón, UNICEF Representative, NicaraguaMassimiliano Sani, Global Chief of Social and Behaviour Change, UNICEFDeepa Risal Pokharel, Senior SBC Adviser and Team Lead for Vaccine Acceptance and Demand, UNICEFShow notes:Quality Health Information for All CommissionUNICEF SBC GuidanceUNICEF Behavioural Drivers Model¿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 TodosBen Johnson, editor jefe de *Nature Health*Rafael Obregón, representante de UNICEF en NicaraguaMassimiliano Sani, jefe mundial de Cambio Social y de Comportamiento, UNICEFDeepa Risal Pokharel, asesora sénior de Cambio Social y de Comportamiento (SBC) y líder del equipo de Aceptación y Demanda de Vacunas, UNICEFNotas del episodio:Comisión sobre Información de Calidad para TodosOrientaciones de UNICEF sobre SBC (Comunicación para el Cambio Social y de Comportamiento)Modelo de determinantes del comportamiento de UNICEFThe 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.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • SBC in Ending Child Marriage

    SBC in Ending Child Marriage
    Jun 24 2026

    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)

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
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