Polio
Polio eradication action with informed and engaged societies
Polio
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
Time to read
2 minutes
Print
a- a+
Published 17 years ago
Last updated 1 year ago
Read so far

Polio Communication Review - India 2008 Phase 1: Uttar Pradesh, Bareilly Report

0 comments
Date
Summary

This report details the findings of the consultant team sent to the Bareilly sub-region of Uttar Pradesh state in India to review polio eradication approaches related to working with, and ensuring support from, influencers as a component of the underserved strategy.

 

Progress against indicators:

 

The proportion of missed children is consistently high in 14 out of 19 blocks of Badaun district, going up to 15.6% in Rajapura block. The situation is slightly better in Bareilly district, with most blocks having between 6-8% missed children. The average booth turnout in the July 2008 round in the community mobilisation coordinator (CMC) areas is around 285.2 in Bareilly and 227.7 in Badaun. The proportion of P0 houses (houses with no children of 5 years or younger) was over 50% during the 8 rounds previous to the review in Bareilly district, whereas this is not the case with Badaun (with the exception of the Badaun urban area, a finding that has been explained largely in terms of old couples, no 0-5 child present, bachelor tenants, and newlyweds). In terms of X (missed households) generated in CMC areas, it is higher in Badaun (18.9%) than in Bareilly (14.5%). The number of remaining X (households with missed children at the end of a round) is also higher in Badaun (6.9%) as compared to Bareilly (3.1%).

 

It was observed that the high frequency of the rounds exacerbates communication challenges. There does not appear to be any resistance to oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV); however, there is limited refusal, mainly due to lack of civic amenities. Additionally, this could be translated as hidden resistance or lack of confidence in the efficacy of the vaccine that intersects to some extent with cultural practices.

 

Key issues identified:

 

What is working?

  1. Collaboration among the Social Mobilisation Network (SMNet), The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), and the National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) (though some exceptions related to coordination planning are noted in the report).
  2. Microplan and key influencers.
  3. Institution and organisational support.

 

What is not working?

  1. All-partners meetings.
  2. Joint meetings of the NPSP/SMNet.
  3. Sector approach in Badaun.
  4. The information, education, and communication (IEC) approach on specific issues: IEC material to address specific local issues (e.g., cultural practices concerning newborn babies, as well as questions regarding OPV use during sickness of the child and while the child is on regular medicines) does not exist.
  5. The interpersonal communication (IPC) approach, including material to handle emergencies like deaths of children associated with OPV intake.
  6. Refresher training of CMCs.

 

Key opportunities:

  1. A large number of local religious events take place throughout the year, and both districts offer tremendous opportunities to intervene in the underserved communities. The sub-region has utilised almost all such opportunities to advocate for OPV. However, this has resulted in spreading the resources too thin, with limited follow-up; a little more creativity in identifying key events, following up activities, and making more focused use of the events would help.
  2. The NPSP and SMNet teams in both the districts are working together in a collaborative mode. A good sense of professional camaraderie exists in both the teams and efforts are being made to resolve critical issues jointly by the Sub-Regional Coordinator (SRC) and the Sub-Regional Team Leader (SRTL) and their teams. All mandated coordination meetings and joint reports/planning documents should be observed and fully utilised.

 

Key challenges:

  1. High frequency of supplemental immunisation activity (SIA) rounds.
  2. Sustaining the commitment of "microplan" and "key" influencers.
  3. Sustaining the high level of organisational and institutional engagement in appropriate religious, cultural, and civic events.
  4. Updated and timely block mobilisation coordinator (BMC) and CMC training.
  5. Continuing migrant and guest tracking.
  6. CMC workload.
  7. Quality of transit teams.
  8. Continued commitment from the state machinery.

 

The team made several recommendations after consultation with district- and state-level polio staff and partners, which can be found in the report.

 

Click here to download the full document in Word format.

Source

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) India, October 2008.