Shifts in Communication and Operations to Address Household Refusals in Patna

This article was featured in the September 2007 issue of the India Polio Communication Update, a monthly publication put together by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in India. The article describes social mobilisation and communication activities carried out in the Patna district of the province of Bihar, designed to promote polio vaccination within communities and accelerate polio eradication in the country. In an effort to address the growing numbers of families who refuse to vaccinate their children in this area, the polio network has encouraged the dissemination of positive polio information through community dialogue sessions. Community youth groups have been engaged to facilitate these informal discussions on polio immunisation, in an attempt to dispel common myths relating to safety of the vaccine, vaccine composition and religious acceptability, repeated immunisation rounds, and lack of other health services in the area.

The polio social mobilisation network in Bihar is also seen to be working closely with partners in underserved areas to form relationships with community-based Muslim institutions, in order to gain community trust at the grassroots level.