This presentation, based on a paper of the same name, was presented at the June 2004 UNICEF meeting dedicated to examining communication in the context of the final push to eradicate polio. The presentation is a summary of a USAID-funded project conducted in 2003, which asked 3 questions: What has been the impact of communication activities? What have been the main institutional support and barriers of communication interventions? What have been the successes and weaknesses in building communication capacity? The research was based on 84 individual interviews, an online forum/survey in collaboration with The Communication Initiative, and field trips and country case reviews (Angola, Bangladesh and Nigeria).

General findings included the observation that communication focus was on campaigns, at the expense of routine and surveillance; communication played an informational role - demand for oral polio vaccine (OPV) was assumed; and limitations of information approaches to communication were identified in countries with low coverage/poor quality of services. Also discussed were social mobilisation lessons learned, information, education and communication (IEC) activities - what has worked, the impact of media campaigns, as well as the value of interpersonal communication. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the three questions initially posed, and several action recommendations.

Click here to download the full presentation as a PDF file.

Click here to download the full paper on which this presentation was based as a PDF file.