Polio True Stories

Country

Pakistan

Region

South Asia

Programme Summary

Launched in 2007, this initiative uses the medium of documentaries - broadcast on television - to help viewers understand what it is really like to be affected by polio, to raise awareness, and to challenge rumours and misunderstandings that might cause parents to refuse or fail to pursue or complete routine immunisation before their child(ren) reached the age of one year. "Polio True Stories" is a 13-part series of 4.5-minute episodes that were produced and directed by Sharpcut Films as part of the Government of Pakistan's Polio Eradication Campaign (which is supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and a number of other partners). Each episode tells a personal story of what is it like to live with polio in Pakistan; the testimonials are aired on television stations across Pakistan ahead of polio immunisation campaigns to draw public attention to the ongoing dangers of the poliovirus and to encourage compliance with eradication efforts.

Communication Strategies

The strategy here involves unveiling personal experiences using television and other information and communication technologies (ICTs), while in the process endorsing key messages, such as the importance of complete routine immunisation, the importance of every child every time, and the important role of religious leaders. By bringing home to viewers exactly what living with polio means, organisers hope to emphasise the fact that polio is not a thing of the past, and that children today are still being crippled - with their own and their families' lives impacted in the long term. Interviews for this series included some of the most recent polio cases as well as interviews with elder polio victims.

Broadcast on national and regional TV channels during primetime slots (just before and after the news on various channels and between key programming), the episodes have also been adapted for the print media. Copies have been shared with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, so that other endemic countries may produce a similar series in their own context(s). Also, the internet is being used as a tool to bring these stories to a broader audience. For example, by clicking here, one may read the story of one child who was "missed", despite the existence of a toll-free telephone number designed to encourage parents to communicate with officials if they had difficulty obtaining the vaccine. One may watch or download some of the episodes by clicking here.