POLIO%20COMMUNICATION%20OVERVIEW

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POLIO COMMUNICATION OVERVIEW

• National Polio Communication Review
• September 25-27, 2007
• Kabul

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Programme Structure
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Communication Strategy - Progress on Geneva
Milestones

• Developed and implemented consolidated Social
  Mobilization plan in line with the Geneva
  Milestones for the infected areas along with a
  proactive media plan (2007)
• IEC and NEPI department activities
• Polio Communication Planning Workshop (July 2006)
• Polio Communication Committee (PCC) formation
• Polio communication advisor recruitment (at MoPH)
• Polio technical officer recruitment (in the
  South)
• Polio communication STOP Volunteers
• Social Mobilisation program initiation in the
  high risk districts of southern and eastern
  provinces with BPHS NGOs
• Branding of polio communication materials /
  messages
• Communication social mobilization training
  materials development
• Media campaign, including production of TV/radio
  spots
• Polio Field Study (under process) in the infected
  provinces

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Communication strategy Future objectives

• Information about polio immunization in branded
  format should reach selected audiences in high
  risk areas to increase campaign coverage
• Communities are informed and ready for campaigns
  through social mobilization programs held by BPHS
  NGOs in southern eastern provinces
• Main strategies for reaching the audience are
• Advocacytraditional, religious and political
  leaders
• Mass Media
• Social Mobilization Inter-personal Communication

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Main Communication Strategies
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Main Communication Strategies
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Strategic components results

• Main activities
• Developing brand identity (logo, tagline, brand
  book) for the polio communication materials
  (posters, brochures, billboards, banners,
  T-shirts, caps, umbrellas etc.)
• Football matches between provinces to disseminate
  messages to audience in the south (edutainment)
  and Rickshaw rallies
• Launching Media Campaigns around each NID at
  national level (both through national and private
  channels) and around each SNID at local levels to
  announce campaign dates and address drop out and
  refusals. Spots (radio and TV) and posters used
• Social Mobilization at the district level in
  selected high risk areas conducted by BPHS NGOs
• Regular trainings and supervision of all the
  activities been done by Polio Communication
  Advisor in South and East

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Branded Identity
Tagline Two drops of Polio vaccine, to every
child, in every round
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Football match and Rickshaw parade
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Training of Soc Mob District Coordinators
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Underlying Communication Theory/Models

• Local traditional and religious values (perceived
  social norms) are main principles for existing
  behaviours
• Barriers from low literacy rates, economic
  status, security and geographical location
  acknowledged and incorporated into planning
• Addressing economic, cultural and geographical
  differences with different IEC material
• Social Mobilization using key influencers at the
  district level
• Using religious personalities to model behaviours
  / act as change agents

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Advocacy partnershipsAchievements

• High political support at presidential and
  ministerial levels
• Every campaign inaugurated by the President or
  Minister of Public Health
• Letter sent by President to all governors
  instructing them to assist MoPH for PEI
• Press conferences in each round of NID / campaign
  inauguration mobilizing media
• International Peace Day and days of tranquility
  proposed

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Advocacy partnershipsAchievements

• At provincial level governors are supportive.
• The governors are opening the campaigns
• In Kandahar, Governor had appointed one focal
  point for polio
• District level social mobilization is creating a
  good environment for campaigns including
  addressing refusals
• Based on the Post Campaign Assessments there are
  improvements in immunization coverage
• An effective partnership is present between
  MoPH, Donors and Implementers
• 88 of people in South Afghanistan reported
  interpersonal source of information on NIDs
  compared to 73 nationally.

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Advocacy and PartnershipChallenges

• Local leaders still to be convinced to support
  and advocate for Polio Eradication
• Weak community ownership for the polio
  eradication program
• Weak coordination, monitoring and supervision of
  BPHS NGOs during NID campaign

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Community local mobilization

• To address the issue of community participation
  and ownership, participatory activities have been
  started in at risk areas of the south and east
• Recruiting vaccinators from the community
• Establishing a community monitoring process
• Four categories of people are being mobilized to
  work with the communities prior to and during
  SIAs
• Teachers
• Religious leaders
• Community elders
• Community Health Workers (CHWs)

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Community local mobilization

• Key influencers becoming lead change agents, with
  features in the Mass media campaign (Mr. Hazrat
  Sibghatullah Mujadidi, a religious leader, has
  several times announced the commencement of
  campaigns)
• Conducting social mobilization training for the
  key influencers
• Incorporation of IPC in volunteer training

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Use of media

• Mass media is important for the national campaign
  visibility and internal and external advocacy
• 6 spots developed for Polio (3 TV and 3 Radio)
• 2 for announcing the date, 2 for missing and
  drop out cases, 2 for refusals
• Aired in prime time in Tolo and Shamshad TVs and
  Arman and national and local Radios
• Print media is standardized after branding and
  three standard posters, a leaflet and banner
  developed for NIDS
• Social Mobilization Toolkit developed
• Roadside billboards with polio messages
  installed
• Round table discussions before campaigns in
  National and BBC Radio
• No direct assessment for outcome or impact of
  the mass media so far
• Media coverage takes place 7-10 days prior to
  the scheduled NIDs and SNIDs

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Media briefings/ Interviews/National Committees

• Media coverage takes place 7-10 days prior to
  the scheduled NIDs and SNIDs
• Interviews on Polio Eradication activities in the
  South and NIDS BBC Asia, Al-Jazeera
  international, IRINNEWS, Canadian Broadcasting
  Corporation (CBC), AFP, AP VOA, BBC Dari/Pashto
  service Interviews with Reuters and Radio Free
  Europe/Radio Liberty, Pajwak news agency
• Media coverage for signing ceremony with the
  Government of Japan for the opening of the
  national storage vaccine facility in Kabul and
  funding for polio eradication activities
• Sharing Information an ongoing basis with press
  officers of the following National Committees for
  further distribution to the media UK,
  Netherlands, France, Canada and US Fund for UNICEF

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Media briefings/ Interviews/National Committees

• Visits to intensify visibility and support
  fundraising
• US Fund for UNICEF Clay Aikens visit to Bamyan
  where he vaccinated a child and highlighted the
  polio eradication activities in his US interviews
• Peace One Day (POD) , where polio eradication
  activities in Afghanistan have been filmed and
  will be highlighted in a the POD's new film to
  be broadcasted in May 2008
• Child Alert Mission, Polio Eradication
  activities will be presented in the Child Alert
  report in October 2007 as well as the SOWCR 2008
  in December
• Vermillion with support from UNICEF has filmed
  the worldwide effort to eradicate polio funded by
  Google/ to be released in early 2008

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Monitoring and Evaluation

• Improved Post Campaign Evaluation form to include
  communication questions on the process and impact
  of communication interventions
• A field study is underway in high risk areas to
  see the impact of social mobilization and to get
  data on knowledge, attitude and behaviour of
  people regarding polio and polio immunization
  Research Department with technical inputs from
  NEPI

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Integrated Intra-NID Checklist
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Thank You