THE USE OF AFRICAN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN POLIO ERADICATION CAMPAIGN

THE USE OF AFRICAN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN POLIO ERADICATION CAMPAIGN

ABSTRACT

          Communication is a critical component in assuring that children are fully immunized and that simultaneous immunity is attained and maintained across large geographic areas for disease eradication and control initiatives. If service delivery is of good quality and outreach to the population is active, effective communication—through advocacy, social mobilization, and program communication (including behavior change activities and interpersonal communication)—will assist in raising awareness, creating and sustaining demand, preventing or dispelling misinformation and doubts, encouraging acceptance of and participation in vaccination services, more rapid reporting of disease cases and outbreaks, and mobilizing financial resources to support immunization efforts. There is evidence of 12% to 20% or more increases in the absolute level of immunization coverage and 33% to 100% increases in relative coverage compared to baselines when communication is included as a key component of immunization strengthening. This research utilizes evidence from Nigeria to examine how the communication system can help in Polio Eradication and evaluation data to focus and improve the quality and impact of communication activities.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     Introduction

Communication, we know, does not exist in a vacuum. It is part of a total life environment, it is conditioned by a country’s economy, technological infrastructure, politics, socio-cultural traditions and goals, and its basic vision of society, or ideology. All this affects the media in a direct way. They, in turn, can have some effect on these conditions, at least by creating awareness. In addition, conditions are changing, often fast, and, alas, not always for the better.

This article attempts to sketch a very broad overview of the problems and prospects of African communication. The observations made in it are based on practical experience, and, in part, on reports about communication in Africa. But they are in no way complete. Rather, they want to identify certain trends which seem to be emerging. Conclusions which can be drawn from them are, therefore, necessarily provisional and tentative.

1.1     Background of the Study

Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. In about 0.5% of cases there is muscle weakness resulting in an inability to move.[1] This can occur over a few hours to few days.[1][2] The weakness most often involves the legs but may less commonly involve the muscles of the head, neck and diaphragm. Many but not all people fully recover. In those with muscle weakness about 2% to 5% of children and 15% to 30% of adults die.[Atkinson W, Hamborsky J, 2009] Another 25% of people have minor symptoms such as fever and a sore throat and up to 5% have headache, neck stiffness and pains in the arms and legs.[ Wolfe S, eds. (2009)]These people are usually back to normal within one or two weeks. In up to 70% of infections there are no symptoms.[1] Years after recovery post-polio syndrome may occur, with a slow development of muscle weakness similar to that which the person had during the initial infection.[NIH. April 16, 2014]

THE USE OF AFRICAN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN POLIO ERADICATION CAMPAIGN