FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2005

Report: More Investment Needed in Strategic Communication
for Successful Childhood Vaccination Programs

BALTIMORE — While childhood vaccination programs are one of the world's most cost-effective public health interventions, a new report shows that failing to invest in strategic health communication will lead to immunization programs that fail to meet or sustain coverage.

Why Invest in Communication for Immunization? is a new publication from UNICEF, the Health Communication Partnership (HCP), and PATH. According to the report, strategic communication is used in a variety of ways to bolster immunization programs, including advocacy efforts with local governments, community mobilization activities to increase participation, and behavior change initiatives to encourage compliance with vaccination schedules.

“One need only look to the recent outbreak of polio in Asia and Africa to understand how important it is to meet goals and sustain coverage,” said co-author Silvio Waisbord, PhD. “Well-designed and successful immunization programs always include strategic communication to make sure governments support the efforts, and that families understand the value of vaccines, know where to get them, and how to comply with vaccine schedules.”

The report details numerous success stories that demonstrate the power of communication in meeting vaccine goals. For example, caregivers exposed to television and radio spots featuring a popular celebrity in India were more likely to go to vaccination booths during polio immunization campaigns in 2003. Another study showed that reminder materials reduced the number of “dropouts” during an Ethiopian vaccine campaign. And communication interventions in Madagascar that included advocacy with local leaders and media partnerships led to a reduction in dropouts and increased immunization coverage.

In addition to several recommendations, the report lists 10 lessons learned, including how communication can address negative publicity and resistance to immunization. The resurgence of polio in Nigeria has been blamed on local religious leaders mixing up vaccine and politics and contending that vaccines could be harmful. Even in the U.S. , vaccines have been linked to causing illnesses such as autism.

Communication can also be used to improve the skills and attitudes of health care workers, and to increase demand for vaccines. But if the quality or availability of services is poor, many families are not likely to complete their vaccine schedules, the report said.

HCP is a global communication initiative based at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Communication Programs in partnership with the Academy for Educational Development, Save the Children, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and Tulane University 's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. In addition to the five core partners, HCP works with leading Southern-based health communication organizations as well as global programming partners from the corporate sector, international media, academic institutions, and faith-based organizations. For more information, visit www.hcpartnership.org.