Polio Communication Challenges [Afghanistan]

This PowerPoint presentation was prepared for a September 2007 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)-hosted meeting dedicated to examining polio communication efforts in Afghanistan. In support of the final global push towards polio eradication, regional presentations were given by in-country communication and health practitioners working in Afghanistan’s polio endemic regions. These were assessed by an external panel of experts in the fields of development communication, mass media, epidemiology, and anthropology, who provided communication programme recommendations based on data presented by the country teams, as well as data gathered on field visits to the endemic states. Communication strategies presented at this meeting were primarily focused on:

1. Analysing the results of programmes implemented through September 2007
2. Detailing activities on national and sub-national levels, with a focus on transient populations, security concerns, and social mobilisation, media, and political advocacy strategies
3. Suggesting communication strategy and programme refinements for the next 6- to 12-month period, designed to support Afghanistan’s polio eradication efforts

This presentation gives an overview of the polio communication challenges in Afghanistan, and describes the current communication environment, potential risks, and responses. The social mobilisation framework for Afghanistan's polio eradication initiative (PEI) is detailed, as well as the programme's overall priority issues.



According to the presenters, Afghanistan's PEI is currently facing some technical issues, including: low (<95%) vaccination coverage rates, decreases in acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) reporting rates, and low routine immunisation (RI) coverage. Vaccination teams are experiencing difficulty in accessing remote locations, as well as those areas affected by active fighting. There are also a lack of technical capacity and noted human resource deficits within the PEI. The media environment is described as having limited access to the general population and is hindered by high levels of illiteracy.



In addition, community and health workers are experiencing fatigue within the programme. A variety of issues are contributing to high levels of missed children, including heavy cross-border population movements, access issues, misconceptions, and refusals. In order to address these issues, the following responses are suggested in the presentation:

• Reinforced training to strengthen interpersonal communication (IPC) skills of vaccinator teams and mobilisers
• Building an environment for “behaviour change” through mass media
• Developing monitoring checklists
• Sustaining advocacy with senior political heads and religious leaders
• Enhancing campaign visibility
• Initiating motivational activities, such as polio football matches

An organogram for social mobilisation is presented, which includes monitoring activities, training activities, and personnel from the household to provincial levels. Social mobilisation activities are shown here to focus on the infected districts in the Southern and Eastern regions. The overall priority issues in these areas include: gaining access to families and communities in security compromised areas; use of social and post-campaign monitoring data to enhance communication responses at the district level; and obtaining human and financial resources for communication activities.



The team concluded by requesting strategic and technical support on the following specific communication challenges:

1. Reaching missed children
2. Using data for social mobilisation activities
3. Developing strong programme indicators
4. Maxmizing media use
5. Reaching nomads and transient populations
6. Reaching women at home
7. Advocating at the local level

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