Successful eradication of polio requires an integrated communication approach based on strategies and activities that are firmly grounded in evidence.
It requires that all available communication for development strategies and tools are applied and brought to bear, including social mobilization, earned media, mass or paid media (paid or, owned) media, advocacy, IEC and increasingly social media.
As we are approaching eradication, and increasingly focus on ending polio in Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan, while responding to outbreaks, there is a demand for communities to be involved and actively participate in the programme.
Finally, if we are to truly transition to a polio-free world, increasingly the focus of communication for sustained behavior change must link more strongly with routine immunization, community based surveillance and broader child health issues in the concerns of the community.
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Explore the other two learning modules in this 3-step tutorial to design evidence-driven communication strategies to help vaccinate every child.
Define your target audience and barriers to change, then develop messages and choose channels to reach your audience.
You cannot do everything and your ability to prioritize your interventions and target behaviours is paramount. One simple way to do this is to evaluate importance of the behavior and its changeability.