INDIA POLIO COMMUNICATION UPDATE POLIO COMMUNICATION INDIA UPDATE CONTENTS West Bengal Chief Minister leads the war against polio P2 Panchayat leaders address polio risk factors P3 Tracking nomads in hard-to-reach areas P4 Brick kiln chimneys spread polio messages in Bihar P5 Polio outreach with nomads at Pooth mela P5 Nauchandi resonates with polio and RI messages P6 Polio advocacy with over two million parents in Urs P7 Tracking and immunizing the nomadic population is now crucial for the polio eradication programme in India. Constantly on the move, they miss polio vaccination and routine immunization, and are at risk of not only getting polio but also spreading the virus. Such a group of Banjaras was tracked during an Urs at a tiger reserve project in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district for polio immunization. For more information contact: [email protected] Volume V I July 2011 INDIA POLIO COMMUNICATION UPDATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 West Bengal Chief Minister leads the war against polio newly elected Chief Minister that they will vaccinate their children. “We THE of West Bengal, Mamata have to take the vaccine so that there are Banerjee, launched the 26 June polio no cases of polio”, the Chief Minister said campaign, vowing “to eradicate the virus calling upon parents and caregivers across from wherever it is in existence”. West the state to ensure that they immunize Bengal is the only state with poliovirus their children in the coming and all transmission in India this year. ensuing polio immunization campaigns to eradicate the virus from West Bengal. Ms All health workers and parents “in every Banerjee immunized four children while inch” of the state, should take the oath launching the campaign. The talking doll show in Kolkata streets attracts huge crowd at every performance. UNICEF Chief Of Field Services, Edouard of West Bengal, Shekhar Mehta, said Beigbeder, present on the occasion, that the Chief Minister’s support is a big underlined the remarkable achievement boost to the polio eradication efforts in of India falling from 741 cases of polio the state, which has been intensified. two years ago to just one solitary case this year: “And naturally we need to go down The community mobiliser volunteers, to zero - to ensure that this disease is only their number almost trebled since the a memory”. detection of the polio virus in January, to cover 37 high-risk blocks spanning nine WHO National Polio Surveillance districts, continue to counsel families Project Deputy Project Manager, Dr during and in between the polio rounds. Sunil Bahl, said that the whole country, Interactive meetings with mothers, in fact, the world is looking to West religious leaders, influencers, street Bengal, and that under Ms Banerjee’s shows and magic shows, talking doll leadership the virus will be eradicated. shows are being organized throughout West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, launching the June polio campaign. Incoming Rotary International Director the high-risk blocks to create awareness INDIA POLIO COMMUNICATION UPDATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 and mobilize the community on an of the panachayati raj and celebrities are ongoing basis. Persistent efforts to being involved in polio advocacy. January February March April May June improve community mobilization through Source: District Health & Family Welfare Samiti Panchla 439 964 611 359 enhanced IPC training and intense The Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team, 418 375 activities have led to reduction in refusals a favorite in the recently concluded 546 Panchla 826 Sankrail 616 820 to OPV and cases of community declining IPL tournament, joined the ‘Bowl Out 964 747 791 521 16.5 765 482 polio vaccination due to sickness. Polio’ campaign ahead of a match 788 410 749 490 Religious leaders, elected representatives in Kolkata and the May polio campaign. Sankrail 616 Uluberia I 490 772 724 861 708 511 586 390 595 348 594 467 Uluberia I 579 Uluberia II 275 724 242 424 651 299 570 248 330 563 280 537 307 387 Uluberia II 285 HMC 291 242 279 248 242 248 253 262 190 307 310 HMC 687 Zone V 395 793 496 539 384 477 388 427 337 525 369 Overall reduction 24 % Overall reduction 13 % Kolkata Knight Riders’ team members at a polio advocacy event prior to the May round in Kolkata. Howrah remaining XR Howrah remaining XS Panchayat leaders address polio risk factors collaboration with the Indian Associa- The participants came up with RECOGNIZING tion of Parliamentarians on Population substantive suggestions of activities the importance of engaging elected and Development. they would undertake in their respective people’s representatives Panchayati communities/wards to address issues Raj Institutions (PRIs) to support polio The workshop aimed at enhancing like sanitation and hygiene, promote eradication, an interactive day-long knowledge of participating panchayat routine immunization etc, to eradicate workshop was organized in South 24 leaders on polio and associated issues, polio. Parganas, West Bengal on 23 June. illustrating with examples, how/what they can do for mobilizing the commu- The workshop, evoked good participa- More than 130 panchayat members nity and ensuring that all children under tion from even media, and enhanced Panchayati Raj elected representatives discuss various initiatives to support polio eradication, from high risk pockets/blocks partici- five are administered polio drops every local-ownership of the polio eradication in 24 South Parganas on 23 June. pated in the workshop, conducted in time it is offered. programme. INDIA POLIO COMMUNICATION UPDATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Tracking nomads in hard-to-reach areas 100,000 members of a seek blessings for the well-being of their OVERnomadic community – near and dear ones, especially children. 5101 Informers in the first week of May 2011 the Banjara’s - congregated at the tiger reserve project at Puranpur, in Pilibhit As per the 2001 census, nomads district of Uttar Pradesh, for an Urs at constitute 0.7% (1,260,000) of the the mausoleum of Sufi saint Syed Sela total population in Uttar Pradesh. Baba Dargah. As occupational groups of hunters, trappers, blacksmiths, basket weavers or The week-long Urs in March is sacred entertainers like puppeteers, fortune- for the community as the Sufi saint is tellers, singers and dancers, they are said to have belonged to the Banjara continuously on the move. community. Every year, this nomadic community seeks special permission Over the past few years, the polio from the State Forest Department to programme has put stringent measures visit the mausoleum, offer prayers and to track such communities. The Social Tracking of High Risk Groups, UP, April 2011 – May 2011. Mobilization Network (SMNet) in A rapid and small survey was conducted Uttar Pradesh, in coordination with with 500 Banjara families, through random the Health Department and WHO- sampling, to know more about the NPSP, sought permission of the State community’s perspective towards polio and Forest Department to carry out polio health seeking behaviours. With alarmingly vaccination during the congregation low literacy levels, it came as no surprise this year. The Health Department set that 55 percent respondents felt polio was up transit teams, which tracked and a ‘curse of God’. immunized 4,530 children under five years of age. The SMNet continues to endeavor to reach out and mobilise such communities for Banners endorsed by the Dargah Sela polio immunization, routine immuniza- Baba Committee were put up to create tion and other polio-associated issues such awareness. SMNet organized 14 group as hygiene, sanitation, exclusive breast- meetings which were attended by feeding and diarrhea management and 246 Banjara pilgrims, to discuss the nutrition. Protecting such populations importance of routine immunization, is now most important for the eradication UNICEF Block Mobilization Coordinator interacting with a group of Banjara’s during the Urs. including polio. programme. INDIA POLIO COMMUNICATION UPDATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Polio outreach with Brick kiln chimneys spread polio messages nomads at Pooth mela Every four years, members of a nomadic in Bihar tribe called the ‘nats’ from across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan congregate at ‘Pooth Garh shrine’ in -year-old Geeta, a mother of three, It is encouraging that brick kiln owners Ghaziabad district of polio endemic west 25has her priority clear - making have come forward in the fight Uttar Pradesh. This year too, the Nats 300 bricks a day. “I don’t have time to against polio. “We can eradicate polio arrived months in advance at the shrine even think of taking my children to the from Bihar, but everybody has to pitch- of Hukum Singh Bajaniya. aganwadi center for routine immuniza- in”, asserts Ravindra Singh, owner of tion,” she admits. Kanchan brick kiln in Maner block, Patna. Transit teams of vaccinators, put “I am fully committed to the campaign together by the Health department in Hundreds of such mothers work in brick and am happy to have the polio message collaboration with NPSP, were deployed kilns in Bihar, coming from far-away states painted on the chimney of my brick kiln,” at strategic points to immunize children like Assam, Jharkhand, West Bengal and he says. Brick kiln workers are happy accompanying the pilgrims. To reach Andhra Pradesh in search of livelihood. with the developments. “Everytime I them with polio messages, banners Most of them are unskilled labourers and lookup, it reminds me of getting my child were displayed at strategic points, health keep migrating from one place to another. polio vaccine every time it is offered,” camps organized and audio-visual shows As a result, their children often miss says Sunita, a mother working at Hero screened during the weeklong event.