Dear CHIFA colleagues,
Below are extracts from the Communication Initiative. Read online: https://www.comminit.com/polio/content/extension-national-emergency-acti...
"...too many knocks on the door and the rapid spread of misinformation on social media have had negative impacts on vaccine acceptance amongst parents and caregivers..."
Despite Pakistan's progress in reducing the number of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases to 8 in 2017 and 12 in 2018, 2019 has seen a significant rise in the number of WPV1 cases (41 cases as of July 8 2019). One of the most intractable challenges the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is facing is refusals by parents and caregivers to immunise their children with the polio vaccine. In light of this challenge, the Pakistan programme has revisited its strategy and put forward this Extension of the National Emergency Action Plan 2018/2019 (NEAP), which will carry the programme forward from July to December 2019...
Community resistance to vaccination is increasing due in part to so-called "polio fatigue", which results when communities that are deprived of many basic services - i.e., water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) - grow weary of repeated knocks at the door for supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs). In addition, the spread of misinformation and propaganda, fuelled by social media, has stirred up mistrust in the oral polio vaccine (OPV) that has materialised as real resistance to, or even refusal of, vaccination. In April 2019, propaganda against the polio programme in Peshawar resulted in a record number of refusals, particularly in districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)...
To respond to these challenges, the Extension puts more emphasis on:
- Synergy and additional activities, which will initiate new collaborations with the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and integrated services delivery (ISD) so that communities that are vulnerable for polio also receive other critical interventions that are designed to improve their lives and positively impact their perception of the programme...
- Communications, with dedicated task teams that will work to engage communities more effectively to increase vaccine acceptance and respond to external communication needs and crises... In addition, communications will work to address low trust in frontline workers (FLWs) due to concerns around the lack of technical knowledge to deliver safe vaccines and the appearance or hygiene and interpersonal skills of FLWs...
- Increase focus on building public trust by managing public opinion (Perception Management Initiative [PMI]) - e.g., through a toll-free telephone line for direction engagement with the public...
See here for the 37-page report:
https://www.endpolio.com.pk/images/reports/NEAP%20EXTENSION%202019.pdf
Best wishes, Neil
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CHIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is the coordinator of the HIFA campaign (Healthcare Information For All) and assistant moderator of the CHIFA forum. Twitter: @hifa_org FB: facebook.com/HIFAdotORG neil@hifa.org
