Barriers

Melting

Polio Eradication Program, India

Vivekananda Biswas

Sub Regional Coordinator

1995

Booth based program launched

1999

Door to door vaccination started

Community became suspicious

about the program

Huge resistance encountered

00142

741

559

874

676

66134

225268265

1126

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

1800

2100

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013*

Wild poliovirus cases, India

P1 wild P3 wild•Data as on 19 April 2013Data source WHO

P2 wild

1600

1934

Detect the barriers

• Community/religious

leaders/institutions did not

believe in the program

Shopkeepers

Local

healers

Teachers

Panchayat

Members

Who are these influencers ?

Ration Shop

Owners Religious

Leaders

Barbers

Capacity Building of Influencers

•Knowledge was built more on technical

information and how to motivate influencers

to support the program.

Polio partners

strategies together

Strategic

communication

approach Answering every doubt, questions with facts & patience

• One to one

• Group meeting (big & small)

This resulted…

1. Positive appeals from religious leaders/Institutions

Polio partners

strategies together

Strategic

communication

approach Answering every doubt, questions with facts & patience

• One to one

• Group meeting (big & small)

This resulted…

1. Positive appeals from religious leaders/Institutions

2. Influencers became positive communicator for polio & routine immunization program

3. Influencers started supporting the mobilizers & vaccination teams during the campaign

4. Mosque announcements initiated at village level

5. Provide support in creating enabling environment for immunization

Appreciating the efforts

•Efforts done by the influencers are recognized at the block, district and state level.•Evidence based impacts shared with every individual influencers•Certificates, mementos are given to more than 6500 influencers twice in a year.

1107

384

279257

189

554

426

334

242196

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Oct'07 - Sep'08 (FY 08) Oct'08 - Sep'09 (FY 09) Oct'09 - Sep'10 (FY 10) Oct'10 - Sep'11 (FY 11) Oct'11 - Sep'12 (FY 12)

11 SIAs 11 SIAs 10 SIAs 10 SIAs 7 SIAs

% c

hild

ren

un

der

5 y

ears

rec

eive

d O

PV

at

bo

oth

s

Fiscal year and number of SIA campaigns

CMC Area Non-CMC Area

Average no. of remaining resistant houses at the end of SIA

campaign in districts covered by CGPP India, Oct.2007-Sep. 2012

Building strong hope towards polio free India……………

• Rukshar, the Last Polio case of India

• Date of onset Jan 13, 2011

Barriers are melting and new

demands are popping up

Learning

• Child mobilization activity can be replicated in any project

• Simple/indigenous participatory tools can be used for capacity building of field staff in any project

• Community members can be mobilized for active participation in any program

Thanks