![The Drum Beat]() |
The Drum Beat – 639
|
|
| Polio Communication Review Strategies & Themes |
|
|
|
|
| This issue of The Drum Beat focuses on the strategies and themes that have emerged from «polio communication reviews» and the lessons learned since they began in 2005. The present issue is inspired by and organised around themes highlighted in a personal reflection on what makes for an effective communication review by The Communication Initiative (CI)’s Chris Morry, who has participated in many communication reviews. These themes include: the importance of evidence-based planning for immunisation communication, as well as monitoring and oversight; and the need to balance national-scale (e.g., mass media) programmes with efforts to reach marginalised, hard-to-reach populations through legitimate, clear, and relevant communication with local communities. |
![content_separator]() |
|
|
|
| WHAT IS A COMMUNICATION REVIEW? |
|
| Originally modelled on the polio surveillance review in which a team of independent experts evaluated the state of a country’s polio surveillance capacity and made recommendations for improvement, polio communication reviews have become an important tool for providing oversight, guidance, and direction to polio communication programmes. Organised by national polio programmes, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other partners, including The CI, they provide objective expert opinion on communication methods and initiatives, point out gaps where they exist, identify promising activities for scaling up, encourage experience sharing between programmes and partners, and make recommendations to improve programme impact and overcome challenges.
Click here to access Chris Morry’s blog and to comment on it: Reflections on Experience: Towards More Effective Polio Communication Reviews |
![content_separator]() |
|
| EVIDENCE-BASED PLANNING & MONITORING/OVERSIGHT |
1. Achieving Polio Eradication: A Review of Health Communication Evidence and Lessons Learned in India and Pakistan
by Rafael Obregon, Ketan Chitnis, Chris Morry, Warren Feek, Jeffrey Bates, Michael Galway, and Ellyn W. Ogden |
| «There is no vaccine against resistance or refusals that are rooted in social-cultural, religious and political contexts.» This report explores the role that communication interventions have played in the effort to eradicate polio through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). The authors conducted a review of primary and secondary data sources, including research, evaluation, and technical reports, as well as policy, theme, and working papers, that document communication efforts for polio eradication in India and Pakistan. For example, nearly 92% of 9,370 respondents to a 2003 evaluation of large-scale mass media campaigns involving movie and cricket stars and political figures in India cited television and radio spots as «very influential» or «influential» in their decision to take children to vaccination booths. However, «[w]hile widespread mass media campaigns continue to ensure nati! onal visibility and public awareness of the Initiative, augmentation of interpersonal communication and social mobilization interventions have become crucial to reach unreached populations.» [Aug 2009] |
![content_separator]() |
2. Successful Polio Eradication in Uttar Pradesh, India: The Pivotal Contribution of the Social Mobilization Network, An NGO/UNICEF collaboration
by Ellen A. Coates, Silvio Waisbord, Jitendra Awale, Roma Solomon, and Rina Dey |
| This paper describes the process and outcome of a partnership approach to eradicating polio in hard-to-reach areas of Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, developed by the Social Mobilization Network (SMNet) – a network of United States (US)-based CORE Group member and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in partnership with UNICEF. What were intended to be creative behaviour change communication (BCC) activities and materials, which focused on both individual- and community-level behaviour, are explored here in detail. Programme decision-makers at all levels used data gathered by SMNet (e.g., community maps and household registers) that were aggregated at community and district levels, and senior staff provided rapid feedback and regular capacity-building supervision to field staff. Use of routine project data and targeted research findings offered insights into and informed the programme’s approac! hes to overcoming community concerns impacting immunisation coverage. While the SMNet worked in the highest-risk, most poorly served communities, data suggest that the immunisation coverage in SMNet communities was often higher than overall coverage in the district. [Mar 2013] |
![content_separator]() |
| 3. Analytical Report on Assessment and Monitoring of Training Cycle of Polio Eradication Campaign |
| This assessment and monitoring of the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) training programme in 12 districts of Sindh and Baluchistan, Pakistan, recommended: (i) revision of the trainer’s manual (content, methodology, and format) – e.g., use more graphics – and an increased emphasis on personal interaction with parents and social mobilisation skills on the part of the vaccinators (using more interactive training methods such as games and role plays); (ii) regular monitoring of training sessions following the development of benchmarks for the monitoring of the training programme; and (iii) a Training of Trainers (TOT) focused on developing facilitation skills, conducting interactive trainings, managing a training session, enhancing persuasion and communications skills, using supportive supervision techniques, etc. [Civil Society Human and Institutional Development Programme (CHIP), Sep 2008] |
![content_separator]() |
| 4. Report on the Meeting of the Technical Advisory Group on Poliomyelitis Eradication in Pakistan |
| «There are some signs of early marginal progress including massively enhanced oversight at the national and provincial level, engagement of the district administration and spotting of clear indicators and milestones. Enhanced oversight has resulted in improved process indicators in some of the high risk districts, marginal improvement in the coverage rates…, identification of the program blocks and measures to overcome, placement of the communication network and gradual improvement of access in FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] over the last 6 months.» [World Health Organization (WHO), Mar 2012] |
![content_separator]() |
| 5. My Village is My Home: Community Tool for Immunization Self-Monitoring and Health Education |
| This resource is a community self-monitoring tool designed for community workers to use for the purposes of an annual village head count of infants, particularly newborns, as an aid in tracking their vaccination status. [IMMUNIZATIONbasics, Dec 2003] |
![content_separator]() |
6. The Polio Eradication Initiative: Monitoring Service Delivery during National Immunization Days and Assessing the Local Capacity to Strengthen Disease Surveillance
by Mark Weeks, Rebecca Fields, Carl Hasselblad, Rose Macauley, and Robert Steinglass |
| This report on polio eradication encourages effective monitoring and accurate disease surveillance to improve the quality of health services and disease control and eradication initiatives. The 4 chapters explain and discuss how to: monitor the quality of services, design effective checklists, develop a summary report and write an effective report, and plan a surveillance strategy using field-tested tools to assess resources. [Basic Support for Institutionalizing Child Survival (BASICS) Project, Jan 1998] |
![content_separator]() |
| 7. Documenting the Community Mobilization Efforts in the IPV Study |
| «The central components of the India communication strategy continue to be political advocacy, social mobilization and behaviour change communication.» This report details a study conducted to explore efforts being undertaken at the time (2009) to eradicate polio in India. «The enrolment of children in the IPV [Inactivated Polio Vaccine] Study was a result of meticulous planning and its execution was done through seamless coordination between NPSP [National Polio Surveillance Project] and the SM Net….In brief, clear roles and responsibilities were delineated to all cadres who at different stages of contact with the families delivered clear, non-conflicting, specific messages to persuade and sustain families’ participation. Whatever was promised in terms of direct incentives or indirect benefits like follow-up was given out to the families. The SM Net, being in direct contact with the community,! became a potent route of communication regarding IPV, allaying concerns about the vaccine.» [Sambodhi Research and Communications Pvt. Ltd., Feb 2010] |
![content_separator]() |
|
|
|
| IMMUNISATION JOURNALISM CONTEST |
| Journalists working in print, broadcast, or online media (as well as affiliated freelance journalists) have a chance to win a 2-week study tour to the United States (US) and cash prizes as part of 3 regional competitions to recognise the best media coverage of immunisations. Stories published or broadcast in Sub-Saharan Africa, Pakistan, and the Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) between March 15 and May 15 2013, which includes World Immunization Week (April 24-30), will qualify for the regional contests. The programme is administered by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in Washington, DC (US) in partnership with the African Health Journalists Association and the Arab Media Forum. |
| The deadline is May 20 2013. Click here for further details. |
|
|
|
| LOCAL LEGITIMACY BLENDS WITH MEDIA |
8. What Led to the Nigerian Boycott of the Polio Vaccination Campaign?
by Ayodele Samuel Jegede |
| This article looks at the controversy surrounding the polio immunisation programme in Kano, Zamfara, and Kaduna states in northern Nigeria in 2003. (Political and religious leaders brought the immunisation campaign to a halt by calling on parents to not allow their children to be immunised due to a lack of trust in Western medicine.) «This impasse was eventually resolved in July 2004 through dialogue, with religious leaders playing a significant role in the process.» Suggestions to prevent such boycotts include: (i) undertake research to investigate why people have concerns and fears about vaccination; (ii) advocate that governments be sensitive to local politics, especially as they affect healthcare delivery; (iii) reach the community through radio, television, and folk media (such as local music, theatre, and festivals); and (iv) establish research ethics committees in each local government. [M! ar 2007] |
![content_separator]() |
| 9. Polio Free Torch Campaign |
| Launched in advance of the London, United Kingdom (UK) 2012 Olympic Games, this 4-month media and event marketing strategy was designed to mobilise wide support from a variety of stakeholders at national and state levels for the last lap of the polio eradication efforts in Nigeria. Amongst the events: a lighting of the torch by each state’s governor to symbolise the state’s commitment to eradicate polio. Governors then decorated a number of key influencers as «Polio Ambassadors» with lapels that carry polio-free messages. To support these public events, the campaign was carried out in the mass media, including a public service announcement (PSA) and series of print posters featuring Nigerian Olympians. [Federal Government of Nigeria with the support of the Polio Eradication Initiative partners, and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC)] |
![content_separator]() |
10. Q & A: How India Stopped Polio
by Eric Porterfield |
| This interview was conducted to mark the anniversary of a polio milestone in India: 2 years without reporting a single case of polio. To learn more about the strategies that led to this accomplishment, Eric Porterfield talked with UNICEF’s Jeffrey Bates. Bates explains that, along with looking into population gaps (missed children), UNICEF focused on communication and media to build momentum and foster public embrace of the initiative. He also highlights the importance of local ownership, describing the «107 block plan», which, beginning in 2008, looked at the highest-risk blocks for polio and sought to understand how the polio initiative could integrate with other services (water/sanitation, safe water handling, hand washing, etc.) that the community cared about. This approach «gave the community a feeling that they were doing something locally relevant as opposed to something that maybe the fed! eral or state governments were asking them to do.» [Jan 2013] |
![content_separator]() |
11. Eradicating Polio: How One Man Changed His View on Vaccines
by Ananda Bandyopadhyay |
| The author of this piece was called to Kultali in India to help deal with a case of polio detected in an 18-month-old boy, whose grandfather had never allowed him (or any family member) to be vaccinated due to the belief that vaccines have harmful health effects. Bandyopadhyay and his team worked with the local health department over a period of several weeks to build the community’s confidence in vaccines and other basic health programmes. They gathered local physicians, non-profit organisation representatives, and religious and political leaders to reinforce the importance of protecting the children with vaccines. «Ultimately, the vulnerability of their own children – many of whom were the same age as the affected child and lived in the same neighborhood – to the virus, made for the most convincing argument.» Soon after, the local mosque began to make regular pro-vaccination announcements durin! g prayers. [Mar 2013] |
![content_separator]() |
| 12. In DR Congo, Polio Survivors Advocate on Behalf of Immunization Efforts |
| Sports journalist Roger Vuanda Movita was 2 years old when polio took away his ability to walk. As portrayed in this video, he has dedicated his life to polio eradication efforts. A passionate advocate on behalf of polio eradication efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), he communicates via radio and television channels and also mobilised community members at local markets, villages, and schools, speaking about his own experience and explaining why polio is a threat. He also visited leaders and families who resisted immunisation efforts. [UNICEF, Apr 2012] |
![content_separator]() |
| 13. Vaccination Against Polio in DR Congo |
| According to UNICEF, engaging the community is key to putting an end to vaccine resistance and misinformation in Congo. Community mobilisers are therefore working to raise awareness among leaders and traditional leaders. Communication strategies are extended to include service providers, traditional and religious leaders, and decision makers at different levels. In addition, sustained advocacy, partnering, and community participation are being used with the goal of changing attitudes about vaccination in many previously resistant communities. |
![content_separator]() |
| 14. Polio Chowk in Moradabad: Civil Society Contribution for Polio |
| This photo essay illustrates the installation of a statue depicting a mother and child featuring the slogan «2 drops of life» and flanked by 4 panels describing the history of the polio effort in India. Unveiled on February 23 2013, the day prior to the National Immunisation Day (NID), the monument, «Polio Chowk», is located in the middle of the crossroads in the city of Moradabad (UP, India) – «reminding all who pass by of the battles won and the battles still to come in order to eradicate polio finally, officially and completely from Moradabad and the world. As dozens of media cameras clicked and whirred, the District Magistrate cut the ribbon and expressed pride, joy and renewed commitment.» [CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP)] |
![content_separator]() |
| 15. Polio Project using the SALT Approach (Stimulate, Appreciate, Listen/Learn, Transfer) |
| This yearlong pilot project, conducted throughout 2013, is being implemented by RDC Compétence, based in Kinshasa, DRC, which uses the SALT Approach (Stimulate, Appreciate, Listen/Learn, Transfer), a communication strategy that aims to develop local, creative responses that are rooted in local strengths. The goal is to increase acceptance of polio vaccination in these communities, leading to higher population immunity and sustained interruption of polio virus circulation in DRC. |
![content_separator]() |
| 16. Communication on Immunisation – Building Trust: A Guide |
| Building on existing research and good practice developed by international organisations, this guide includes real-life examples of media coverage and communication campaigns for specific vaccines. The particular challenges that new and social media pose for communication on immunisation are also discussed. Suggestions for building trust include: ensure that consistent messages are available from different sources, select the priority audiences and the most appropriate communication channels to reach them, formulate key messages, and develop materials that address the specific information needs and concerns of the audiences. [European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Apr 2012] |
![content_separator]() |
| See also:
|
![content_separator]() |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| This issue of The Drum Beat was written by Kier Olsen DeVries. |
|
|
| The Drum Beat is the email and web network of The Communication Initiative Partnership – Partners: ANDI, BBC Media Action, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Breakthrough, Calandria, DFID, FAO, Fundación Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano (FNPI), Inter-American Development Bank, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs, MISA, Oxfam Novib, PAHO, The Panos Institute, Puntos de Encuentro, The Rockefeller Foundation, SAfAIDS, Sesame Workshop, Soul City, STEPS International, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNICEF, USAID, The Wellcome Trust, World Health Organization (WHO), W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.
Chair of the Partners Group: Garth Japhet, Founder, Soul City garth@heartlines.org.za
Executive Director: Warren Feek wfeek@comminit.com |
![content_separator]() |
| The Editor of The Drum Beat is Kier Olsen DeVries. |
| Please send additional project, evaluation, strategic thinking, and materials information on communication for development at any time. Send to drumbeat@comminit.com
The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.
To reproduce any portion of The Drum Beat, click here for our policy.
To subscribe, click here.
To unsubscribe, please send an email to drumbeat@comminit.com with «Unsubscribe» in the subject line. |
Blog de Octavio Islas 