Presented at: The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting on Communication for Polio Eradication

[Please note: the original presentation is in French.]

This PowerPoint presentation was part of a June 2005 joint United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)/World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting dedicated to examining communication in the context of the final global push to eradicate polio. At this meeting, country-specific presentations were made by communication practitioners in 16 of the 21 countries which have experienced cases of wild poliovirus in 2004 and/or in 2005 (to June). The total number of global poliovirus cases increased from 784 cases in 2003 to 1,255 cases in 2004, with 1,004 cases reported to August 9 2005 (548 for the same period in 2005). Communication strategies presented at this meeting were primarily focused on:

1. Analysing the results of programmes implemented to June 2005, and
2. Detailing the planned communication programme for the next 6 to 12 month period, designed to support a reversal of the above trend and achievement of the goal of eradicating polio worldwide.

This presentation provided an overview of the epidemiological history, as well as the country-specific communication strategies and challenges within Niger.

Niger experienced 40 cases of wild poliovirus (WPV) in 2003, reducing to 19 cases in 2004. To date in 2005, 2 cases have reported (compared to 19 for the same period in 2004).

The communication environment in Niger is characterised by:

1. persistent refusal areas, especially in Niamey (the capital), and
2. highly mobile, hard-to-reach groups (ie. nomads and islanders) around the border with Nigeria.

Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) communication objectives are a) to mobilise the whole population to participate in vaccinating all children under five during the National Immunisation Days (NIDs), and b) to increase the Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) referral rate through sensitisation and improved surveillance.

The communication strategic principles adopted by the country for polio eradication include: the strengthening of advocacy, increased social mobilisation, the involvement of community rulers and organisations in the communication process along with the use of effective communication channels.

As a result of implementing the above strategies, the number of refusal cases is said to have been reduced up to 47%. 12,378 village rulers have been actively involved in the sensitisation of their communities and 72% of households were visited by community front line mobilisers.

The two main communication channels through which populations were informed about vaccination were radio/television (53%) and community front line mobilisers (49%). 77% of parents know which disease their children were vaccinated against during the NIDs.

One of the challenges that the country is facing is to overcome the persistent refusals of vaccination among the population and to reach the hard-to-reach groups.

Click here to download the full PowerPoint presentation, in French, as a PDF file.