Journalists Initiative on Immunization against Polio in Nigeria

"[I]n Nigeria, the mass media is playing a major role in creating and raising awareness about polio issues, educating the populace on the importance of polio vaccination as well as mobilizing communities to support current polio eradication efforts."

This article describes communication strategies being undertaken by the Journalists Initiative on Immunization against Polio (JAP), a Nigerian non-profit, non-governmental organisation which uses advocacy, mass media, and interpersonal communication to empower people to adopt healthy lifestyles and behavioural patterns with regard to the oral polio vaccine (OPV). As of this writing, JAP includes 22 local journalists and producers spanning the northern Nigerian states at high risk of polio transmission.

As part of JAP's advocacy programme, the network plans to travel from local government to local government within the year (2012), with the goal of asking each local government chairman to make a personal commitment to work to eradicate polio by involving mass media - thereby holding each one personally accountable for the polio situation in his area. To that end, during the sub-national polio immunisation campaign in July 2012, JAP Chairman Mohammad Abdu Zango travelled from one local government to another reporting on the campaign's progress. He notes that "[j]ournalists play a key role in mobilizing communities towards getting their children immunized against polio." Prior to the July 2012 campaign, JAP had been producing and airing radio drama plays on a regular basis. Moreover, colleagues in the network ensured that media airtime was available on radio and television stations before, during, and after the campaign. Partner stakeholders also reportedly helped in the development of the key messages JAP was delivering and disseminating.

UNICEF social data analysis reveals that about 38% of caregivers were informed about the polio campaign via radio in Kano State. Zango notes that radio is one of the most popular media in Nigeria, given its widespread coverage and its affinity for communication with low-literacy communities.

Nigeria is one of the three remaining polio-endemic countries. UNICEF reports that, as of July 10 2012, Nigeria had recorded 49 new cases of wild polio virus (WPV) in 10 states, compared to 25 cases during the same period in 2011. In this context, "JAP urges government, development partners and other stakeholders including journalists to take necessary steps to ensure that the December 2012 target of stopping transmission of the wild polio virus in Nigeria remains realistic."