COMMUNITIES IN THE LEAD: HUMAN-CENTERED, COMMUNITY-FIRST
Welcome to the June edition of the Digital Community Engagement (DCE) Newsletter—your monthly roundup on how digital tools and strategies are driving community-centered progress in polio eradication and public health.
In this issue, we spotlight Afghanistan’s localized DCE strategy development process—a powerful example of local leadership shaping responsive digital action. You'll also find highlights from uInfluence campaigns during World Immunization Week, early DCE deployment in Papua New Guinea’s outbreak response, and insights from top-performing content that’s building trust and sparking engagement across communities in both the Endemics and the Outbreaks.
As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback to strengthen this platform—issue by issue.
Adnan Shahzad
Digital Community Engagement Manager,
UNICEF NY HQ
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HIGHLIGHTS: WHAT’S DRIVING IMPACT
AFGHANISTAN
Built by the People: How a National Co-Design Process Shaped Afghanistan’s DCE Strategy
Afghanistan’s newly developed Digital Community Engagement strategy was co-created during a two-day workshop at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) in Kabul. Frontline workers, regional and provincial NEOC managers, and technical experts came together to shape a digital engagement approach grounded in local realities and community voices. The strategy is now moving through its final approval stages and is structured around four pillars:
- Community Ownership: Building a community-led movement with cross-institutional collaboration and grassroots WhatsApp networks.
- Person Centricity: Focusing content on whole child health to support families through trusted local channels.
- Collaborative Communication: Empowering youth voices and scaling up uInfluence to energize digital narratives.
- Emotional Resonance: Using powerful storytelling to engage male heads of households and strengthen family-centered protection.
While final approvals are underway, weekly social listening insights are already helping local teams begin translating the strategy into responsive action across communities.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Listening First: Real-Time Insights for Outbreak Response
As a new cVDPV2 outbreak was declared in Papua New Guinea, DCE support was rapidly activated. Social listening and an AI-powered dashboard are already helping local teams understand rising concerns about vaccine safety and misinformation—especially false claims linking vaccines to the outbreak. These insights are now guiding message design and digital outreach as the response campaign scales up.
WORLD IMMUNIZATION WEEK
Young Voices, Big Impact: uInfluence Drives Community Conversations
During World Immunization Week, uInfluence volunteers led a global wave of digital storytelling. A youth-created video went viral with over 70K views and 31K interactions, highlighting how local voices can counter misinformation and build trust.
RESULTS: TOP-PERFORMING CAMPAIGNS
+5,000 New Volunteers Join uInfluence
The uInfluence network continues to grow—expanding its reach, amplifying local voices, and fueling youth-led engagement across the globe. April and May saw a strong spike in recruitment and interaction, driven by timely campaigns and relatable, peer-created content.
Content That Resonates: Learning from Recent Campaigns
Recent DCE campaigns continue to show that content created with and for local audiences drives stronger engagement. Visual storytelling, peer-generated messages, and culturally relevant formats led campaign performance.
VOICES FROM THE FIELD
Alexandros Semeloglou, KM and DCE Specialist with the UNICEF Afghanistan Team, brings together digital insights and community perspectives to strengthen local engagement. His work focuses on shaping content that resonates — using storytelling and youth-led narratives to build trust and support vaccine acceptance.
"This strategy was not written behind a desk — it was built with the voices of Afghan communities. Through social listening, we had already gained valuable insights — but speaking directly with local leaders and frontline workers brought a new depth to our understanding. One of the strongest lessons was how much emotional resonance matters: how storytelling around family pride and protection can engage fathers, how youth-led narratives can energize conversations, and why whole-child health must be at the heart of our content."
POLIO PULSE INSIGHTS: TRENDING NARRATIVES
🧠 Conspiracy Theories
Posts falsely claiming that polio vaccines are part of a "depopulation plot," biological weapon, or cause of harm are again circulating across several regions. Triggers include Gates’ recognition in Nigeria, the Indonesian TB vaccine trial, and ongoing narratives in Pakistan and Kenya. Read more: Gates myths Nigeria | TB myths Indonesia | Gates myths Kenya | Biological weapon Pakistan
Recent posts in Afghanistan describe polio drops as "poison," "forbidden," part of a "Western conspiracy," and raise religious doubts about vaccine ingredients. The narrative continues to fuel mistrust and hesitancy in vaccination efforts. Read more: Afghanistan conspiracy | Haram vaccine fears
🎥 Viral Content
Viral videos in Pakistan and Iran are fueling vaccine fears. One video claims a child died after receiving polio drops, while another claims polio drops caused disabilities. Both videos are widely shared and reinforce long-standing safety myths. Read more: Child death video Pakistan | Disability claims video Iran
❗ Distrust & Doubts
Amid ongoing vaccine shortages in Kenya, parents are expressing frustration online. Some call unvaccinated children "lucky," while others falsely claim vaccines are "poison," "contraceptives," or unnecessary. The shortage continues to drive public mistrust. Read more: Kenya shortage fears | Lucky unvax posts | Poison vaccine claims
📢 Boycotts & Protests
Beyond social media opposition to Saudi Arabia’s vaccination rule, some Indonesian users now suggest ways to bypass vaccination requirements altogether—spreading posts that encourage unsafe travel behaviors and reinforce distrust. Read more: Saudi travel protests
A viral post with over 1.4 million followers claims that polio vaccination is prioritized over addressing critical needs like water, education, and healthcare. The narrative is being shared widely and resonates with broader anti-campaign sentiment. Read more: Polio priority debate
Stay ahead of the curve
Polio Pulse gives you real-time access to the latest rumors, risks, and narratives shaping polio vaccine acceptance. Use it to monitor trends, inform your strategy, and respond faster—wherever you work.
RESOURCES: YOUR DCE ESSENTIALS
DCE Strategy 2025–2026: Shaping the Future of Digital Engagement
The global roadmap for scaling human-centered, data-driven digital engagement across polio eradication efforts. A practical guide for country and regional teams looking to strengthen community-centered digital work. Read the strategy
How uInfluence Works in Outbreak Settings
Stay in touch with the DCE team
Have input, questions, or something to contribute?
Missed previous issues?
Catch up on April’s launch edition for DCE tools and strategy highlights, and explore May’s deep dive into local campaigns, uInfluence momentum, and insights from frontline teams.