PROTECT co-creation workshops turn audiences into creators of messages
In Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda, the PROTECT study has been taking place over the past two years, and recently partners embarked on participatory methods to actively engage end users, pregnant women and their communities as collaborators in the next steps of the project. Partners organised co-creation workshops, in which different stakeholders – including pregnant women – actively shaped future vaccination-related communication materials. This follows prior research within the project exploring pregnant women's understanding of, and willingness to participate in, maternal vaccine trials, as well as their knowledge and attitudes regarding maternal vaccination.
Through this co-creation process, the target audience of such public health campaigns took the lead in shaping the vision for communications. This made sure that the proposals were inclusive, accessible and relevant to pregnant women and their communities in these settings.
Following the inaugural workshop in Uganda, PROTECT teams in Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique held successful co-creation events in July. In all four countries, researchers used a variety of methods, including open-ended questions, group reflections, and the nominal group technique, to encourage reflection on the presented data and consider the best ways to communicate about maternal vaccines and trials within their communities.
Participants created messages and advised on the audiences, formats, and the most appropriate and trusted channels. Using these suggestions, PROTECT teams will now create communication materials that respond to the realities of communities in these Sub-Saharan African settings. Inclusivity considerations, such as the use of local languages and adaptations for varied literacy levels, were a key area of discussion during the workshops.
Explore the highlights from the workshops in Kenya, Malawi, and Mozambique:
Malawi
1-3 July 2026
Location: Blantyre, Malawi
Participants: pregnant women, their spouses, health workers, policymakers, and other community actors (e.g. religious leaders, village administrators).
Kenya
20-24 July 2026
Location: Kilifi County, Kenya
Participants: pregnant women, healthcare providers, public health officers, county policymakers, community health promoters and assistants, community advisory board members, women leaders from community-based organisations and health development partners from Rabai and Kaloleni.
Mozambique
14 and 23 July 2026
Location: Maputo, Mozambique
Participants: Pregnant woman, family members (mothers and mother-in laws of pregnant women, partners of pregnant woman, fathers of pregnant women), key community figures (community leaders, religious leaders, matronas, community health workers), facility-based health workers, members of the Ministry of Health Vaccination Programme, Child and Maternal Health Programme and their communications team members.
To learn more about the workshop in Mozambique, read the article by the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) here and watch the video of Estêvão Mucavele reflecting on the process:
