This article is excerpted from the March 2007 edition of the India Communication Update. This update is produced monthly by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) India in consultation with partners and is circulated by email. Its purpose is to provide stakeholders with a concise update on strategic developments in the communication effort for polio eradication in India, in response to the fast evolving epidemiological situation in the country.



This study describes the results of a recent UNICEF-commissioned reach and recall study undertaken by the Social and Rural Research Institute to determine the success of India’s television campaign for polio eradication.



It was found that the campaign is effective in reaching its core audience in endemic areas, and positively impacting immunisation behaviour. This is attributed in large part to the involvement of popular television celebrity Amitabh Bachchan, who according to the study continues to be the most preferred celebrity to advocate for polio.



Across all those interviewed, the vast majority of both Hindu and Muslim respondents believe that Bachchan brings credibility to the campaign and pulse polio initiative, and that his participation has increased booth compliance significantly.



The study took care to survey a representative sample of Muslim, urban, illiterate, and low socio-economic status individuals. Of this pool, the reach of November’s television spot featuring Bachchan was higher in Delhi than in western Uttar Pradesh, and higher among Hindus than Muslims. Over the last five years, polio spots featuring Bachchan have remained the most widely reached and recalled across a variety of audiences.