Re: https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/polio-vaccine-communication-11-national...
Dear Bernard,
Thank you for your helpful detail in your last post relating to National Immunisation Days.
You point out: "National Immunization Days (NIDs) made it possible to achieve good vaccination coverage in most parts of the world. However, in two regions (northern Nigeria and some parts of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan), in very deprived communities where strong opposition to central authority exists, these NIDs have fueled mistrust and hostility..."
You conclude: "As a specialist in public health communication, I argue that renouncing NIDs is the only way to stop fueling rumors and win adhesion to polio vaccination."
For me, this raises a few questions:
1. Is there a need for different approaches in different settings? For example, are NIDs appropriate in some settings, but inappropriate in others (such as the ones you describe?).
2. Are there specific situations where NIDs, given their acknowledged success, are appropriate?
3. Is there a characteristic of NIDs that could be modified to make it more accceptable and less likely to fuel misinformation?
4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the EPI approach and how can these be addressed?
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org