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Communication for Polio Eradication in Burkina Faso

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Presented at: The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting on Communication for Polio Eradication

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Summary

[Please note: the original presentation is in French.]

This PowerPoint presentation was part of a June 2005 joint United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)/World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting dedicated to examining communication in the context of the final global push to eradicate polio. At this meeting, country-specific presentations were made by communication practitioners in 16 of the 21 countries which have experienced cases of wild poliovirus in 2004 and/or in 2005 (to June). The total number of global poliovirus cases increased from 784 cases in 2003 to 1,255 cases in 2004, with 1,004 cases reported to August 9 2005 (548 for the same period in 2005). Communication strategies presented at this meeting were primarily focused on:

  1. Analysing the results of programmes implemented to June 2005, and
  2. Detailing the planned communication programme for the next 6 to 12 month period, designed to support a reversal of the above trend and achievement of the goal of eradicating polio worldwide.


This presentation provided an overview of the epidemiological history, as well as the country-specific communication strategies and challenges within Burkina Faso.

Since 2003, 20 wild poliovirus (WPV) cases have been reported in Burkina Faso (11 in 2003, and 9 in 2004). No cases have been reported to date (August) in 2005. It is also reported that the quality of the Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance reporting system has been relatively low during 2005, compared to 2003 and 2004, as has the community involvement in AFP surveillance.

The presentation outlines some factors that influence polio supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs) in the country. These include: delays in resource mobilisation and the launching of communication activities prior to National Immunisation Days (NIDs), as well as insufficient supervision of communication activities.

The external rapid assessment carried out after the April NIDs revealed that 2.1% children under the age of five were not vaccinated (among 18,549 children in 6,600 households visited). The primary reasons for non-vaccination of children were: their absence from the home during vaccinators’ visits (91%) and households not visited by vaccinators (4.58%). The two main channels through which parents are informed about vaccination are community front line mobilisers/criers (69%) and audiovisual media (26.4%).

The country has defined development communication objectives and strategies (advocacy, social mobilisation and communication for behaviour change) that are said to have mobilised administrative, traditional and religious authorities and involved intersectorial and social partners as well as media in polio eradication activities.

The Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) challenge for the second half of 2005 is to draw up communication action plans based on epidemiological and sociological data analysis. The gap in funding of communication activities and the event of presidential election planned to take place in November 2005 appear to be a potential threat for end of year NIDs in Burkina Faso. A schedule of planned November and December NID activities is provided.

Click here to download the full PowerPoint presentation, in French, as a PDF file.