CROSS-BORDER/SYNCHRONISED NIDs

1. CROSS-BORDER/SYNCHRONISEDNIDs Communication lessons In West and Central Africa region By Paryss KOUTA

2. OPPORTUNITIES At the political level • commitment of ministers of health • commitment of head of states • involvement of First Ladies

3. Partners involved • religious leaders • traditional leaders • NGOs and associations • youth organisations • private sector • media • children • partners of polio eradication, etc...

4. Celebrity visits and international media support • field visits and positive reports by international media • special mission to Liberia by Rooger Moore • Mia Farrow’s crusade against Polio in Nigeria

5. More than 76 millions children immunised during the 2000 NIDs in 17 countries in the West and Central Africa Region

6. WEAKNESS • Planning and micro-planning • The EPI team start the process of preparation of NIDs without real involvement of social mobilisation staff • Development of cross-borders contacts and elaboration of micro-plans by health managers without integration of the communication component

7. Planning and micro-planning are considered in terms of supply, logistic, vaccinators to train and to recruit... • Strategic plans in countries do not focus on the cross-border activities, synchronised NIDs • lack of common strategic meetings between countries • weakness of common planning of cross- border activities

8. Lack of harmonisation of communication micro-plans in the cross-border areas • Elaboration of messages and promotional materials in the countries, out of the cross-border context • Inside of countries, too much centralised approach of interventions

9. NEXT STEP BEFORE THE END OF 2001 • Focus on key orientations/flexible guidelines on social mobilisation strategies in cross- border areas • to contribute to reach all children • to focus interventions in the cross-border areas and villages • to make a relevant assessment for a better knowledge of targeted cross-border areas and population

10. NEXT STEP BEFORE THE END OF 2001 • to make a good analysis of opportunities and weakness of common communication activities between countries • to identify the communication channels available and used in the cross-border areas and villages • to identify the resistant population and specific groups in the cross-border areas • To elaborate common educational materials for cross-border activities

11. A strong link between EPI team and Communication team at the country level should be considered as a necessity and should be reinforced and maintained EPI team and Communication team have to work very closely at all level of micro-plans and during all process of the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Synchronised NIDs

12. For these next six months • We need to reinforce the inter-agency partnership at the regional and country levels • The regional inter-agency team should be involved in: • the process of elaboration and review of micro-plans in countries • the identification of common social activities in countries • the harmonisation of cross-border messages and monitoring and evaluation tools

13. For these next six months • Communication may contribute to increase the quality of Synchronised NIDs in West and Central Africa region • The quality of communication activities should be increased • An inter-agency task force may meet to develop a realistic strategy in terms of concrete and operational link to do between NIDs opportunities, Routine Immunisation and community surveillance in countries

14. CONTEXT Unfortunately, the general context of the implementation of Synchronised NIDs in West and Central Africa Region is still characterised by : lack of safety, armed conflicts and wars, coup d’etat chronic poverty

15. Merci de votre attention Thank you very much