Areas of Concern: Communication for Immunisation

Five major issues

• Research & data—as basis for action
• Local capacity building
• Partnership
• Reaching the Hard-to-Reach
• Lessons learned/transitioning

Research & data

Lack of data as a basis for action

• Clarity on what type of data to collect
• Epi? Social? Attitudinal? Behavioural?

Ongoing monitoring of operations at local level—applying research/monitoring to planning/action

Research on communication issues versus epidemiological surveillance (both important)

Local capacity building

Training needed at local, sub-national and national levels

• Interpersonal communication
• Improved micro-planning
• Outsourcing? Better coordination with partners (who can do what, and where?)
• Engaging women as mobilisers

Improved communication between managers and CMs, and between health providers and families

Partnership

Who's to do what among the array of existing partners, and new local allies

• Key to improving micro-planning of socmob in high-risk districts
• Create demand among families
• Improved info and vaccine delivery
• Improved training for better outreach

Cross-border management of NIDs

Improved access for hard-to-reach

Hard-to-Reach: How?

• Motivating health providers to reach ALL children regardless of race, caste, status, etc?
• Reach the “stateless”, i.e., migrants, slum-dwellers, economic displaced persons residing between States or in high mobility?

Lessons learned

• Concrete steps needed – from communicating polio to communicating full or routine immunisation
• Build on existing communication network/ infrastructure at regional and country level?
• Set indicators for communication monitoring
• Human resource needs & role of ICC

Other concerns – based on country group work

• Need INTEGRATED communication plan that includes PE, EPI, intro of new vaccines & injection safety
• Need to address disconnect between 'political' advocacy and micro-planning - what happens in between? (where things actually happen....)
• Communication to address rejection, resistance and rumours
• Track impact of social mobilisation (monitoring of communication plan)

Time-table

Group work:

• Identify tangible steps towards transitioning from polio to communication for immunisation

Branding Immunisation

Need to frame all vertical immunisation interventions as part of one immunisation campaign

• Eradicate Polio - Immunisation Works!
• Eliminate Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus - Immunisation Works!
• Protect your child - Immunisation Works!
• When injections are safe - Immunisation Works!

To conclude...

There is nothing routine about Immunisation……

Click here to download a Power Point Presentation of this document.