The Vital Drop: Communication for Polio Eradication in India

The Vital Drop tells the story of the effort to eradicate polio in India. According to the author, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is the largest public health initiative in the world, whose success hinges on India’s success in eradicating polio. The book chronicles communication challenges and the efforts made by the polio partners - spearheaded by the Government of India - at communicating to communities the need to immunise their children against polio, every time. Its audience includes: development professionals and students; public health professionals and students; development and public health communication professionals, practitioners, and students; mass media professionals and journalists; management professionals, particularly in the field of social marketing; and social scientists and social workers.

The Vital Drop narrates experiences in mobilising communities in different parts of India – in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar where polio is endemic, in Mumbai where polio poses a potential threat, and in West Bengal and the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka that have experienced success in the eradication campaign. The outbreak in 2002, according to the author, was important in bringing to centre stage the communication challenges – explaining to underserved and marginalised communities in distant areas of western Uttar Pradesh and Bihar the importance of protecting their children against polio - complicated by strong resistance towards immunisation from these communities.

The Vital Drop, as stated by the author, focuses on the critical nature of communication for polio in India. The audience for polio communication in UP alone is 40 million. Polio communication is technically guided and scientifically driven. Every communication intervention has been assessed for its impact and effectiveness. All interventions are first pre-tested before they are implemented large-scale. Validation exercises through Communication Technical Advisory Group meetings are periodically held to assess whether the programme gives the right message, whether it builds confidence among communities, and whether there is still a communication gap. Contingency planning has become possible through such interactions, and there is potential to strategise against possible outbreaks in the future.