UNDERSERVED STRATEGY

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UNDERSERVED STRATEGY
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Who Are Underserved?(From the perspective of
polio eradication campaign)

• Polio is a disease of poor
• Poor with specific characteristics
• (specific social, economic, historical,
  psychological experiences)
• Ghettoized conditions
• (which are more conducive for the virus than the
  conditions of other poor.)
• Level of vaccine acceptance
• (among underserved and other poor.)

3
Social Stratification among Muslims
TOTAL POPULATION OF INDIA 1,028,610,328 Muslims
in India Total population of Muslims in India
138,188,240 Total population of U.P.
166,197,921 Muslim Population is 18.5 of the
total population of U.P.
Muslim Sects in India
Qadiani / Others
Sunni
Shia
Bohra
Population-wise, these sects are extremely
minuscule in comparison to the Sunni and the Shia
sects all over the country and much less in U.P.
Their social indicators are much better. For
insignificant presence of population and much
better social and economic indicators,
immunizations level is high (if it is possible to
segregate sect-wise SIA/EPI data, well surely
find either ZERO or insignificant WPV cases among
the children of the sects like this.). This is
the main reason why USS does not recommend
intensified efforts for immunizations for this
sect.
Muslim Sects in UP
Sunni
Deobandi
Bareilvi
Population-wise, the Sunni sect is the biggest
sect in India and also in U.P. Most of the Muslim
underserved communities belong to this sect.
Some of the Main underserved communities
Qureshis, Ansaris, Ghazis, Alvis, Saifis,
Salmanis, Migrant poor, Neo Converts, Informal
sector labour, etc.
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Underserved Strategyof Communication for Polio
Eradication

• CRUX - Despite underserved conditions, ensuring
  the acceptance of
• OPV by underserved communities for every child,
  every time.
• How to ensure it?
• By partnership and confidence building in the
  underserved communities
• for the polio eradication campaign.
• Beginning of partnering with Muslim institutions
• In the second half of 2003, formal partnership
  with AMU, JMI
• Hamdard in coordination with SMNet and other
  polio partners. followed
• by a rapid growth in partnership

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Formal Partners
Abbreviations DM District Magistrate CDO Chief
Development Officer CMO Chief Medical
Officer DIO District Immunization Officer DYC
District Youth Coordinator NYKS Nehru Yuva
Kendra Sanghatan ZYKA Zila Yuvak Kalyan
Adhikari DPO District Project Officer NSS
National Service Scheme NCC National Cadet
Corps ZPA Zila Panchayat Adhikari DSO District
Supply Officer DIOS District Inspector of
Schools BSA Basic Shiksha Adhikari SMC Social
Mobilization Coordinator ADM Additional District
Magistrate SDM Sub-Divisional Magistrate BDO
Block Development Officer ADO Assistant
Development Officer MS Medical
Superintendant MOIC Medical Officer
Incharge NSV National Social Volunteer BO Block
Officer CDPO Child Development Project
Officer PC/PO Project Coordinator / Project
Officer ABSA Additional Basic Shiksha
Adhikari BMC Block Mobilization
Coordinator GPVA Gram Panchayat Vikas
Adhikari SHG Self Help Groups ANM Auxilllary
Nurse Midwife NYM Nehru Yuva Mandal YMD Yuvak
Mangal Dal AWW Anganwadi Worker CMC Community
Mobilizer BDC Block Development Committee
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Bottom-Up Approach

• Intensification of grassroots mobilization

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Underserved Partners
Institutions at District and Block level
SOCIO-RELIGIOUS COMMITTEES / ASSOCIATIONS Jametul
Quresh Saifi Conference, Ansari Conference,
Mewati Samaj, Alvi Conference, Jamate Ulema e
Hind, Dargah committees All India Milli
Council Al Barkat networks Abbasi Samaj Salmani
Samaj
MUSLIM UNIVERSITY NETWORKS Jamia Milia
Islamia Aligarh Muslim University Hamdard
University Shibli College Falah é Aam
OCCUPATIONAL NETWORKS Rickshaw Pullers
Association Brick factory worker Rural workers
organization Brass Workers Lock Workers Glass
factory workers Beedi (local cigarette)
workers Embroidery workers
KEY RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS NETWORKS Darul-Ul-Uloom
, Deoband Nadvatul Ulema, Lucknow Jamaitul Falah
Community level Caste, Occupational Religious
leaders
RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS MASJID Mosque Includes
Jama (Main Mosque / Eidgah (Mosque for
Eid) MADRASAS Muslim education
centers DARGAH/MAZAAR Sufi Shrines RELIGIOUS
INFLUENCERS Pesh Imam Leads male collective
prayer at local mosque Muazzan Calls for prayer
at a mosque Mutawalli / Mohtamim Local
management body for mosque Qari Recites Kuranic
versus Qazi Performs marriages Mufti Issues
Religious decrees (Fatua) Sajjada-Nashin/ Gaddi
Nashin / Khadim Spiritual authorities at
Dargarhs
LOCAL CASTE / OCCUPATIONAL LEADERS Querishi /
Saifi / Mansuri Chaudhary (usually) Ansari
Sardar Idrisi Masterji
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Impact

• The USS leveraged the influence of three Muslim
  universities to neutralize institutionalised
  opposition to the polio campaign
• It was able to identify social stratifications of
  the resistant communities their events /
  rituals / practices (Sufi shrines / melas etc)
  and strategically engaged local leadership in a
  planned systematic manner to reach out to the
  most vulnerable children in high risk areas with
  Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), in some cases for the
  first time.
• This led to a narrowing of the immunity gap among
  the children of these communities (from 29 in
  early 2004 to lt 4 at present) and resulted in a
  fewer number of reported polio cases in Muslim
  children.

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Way Forward

• Capacity Building of district and block level
  functionaries of the SM Net and other
  communication partners
• Integration with other programs like girl child
  education / RI / sanitation / nutrition etc.
• Sensitization of implementing agencies.