Cross Border Communication - Southern Region - Afghanistan

This PowerPoint presentation was prepared for a September 2007 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)-hosted meeting dedicated to examining cross-border polio communication efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In support of the final global push towards polio eradication, regional presentations were given by in-country communication and health practitioners working on either side of the shared border. These were assessed by an external panel of experts in the fields of development communication, mass media, epidemiology, and anthropology, who provided communication programme recommendations based on data presented by the country teams, as well as data gathered on field visits to the endemic states. Communication strategies presented at this meeting were primarily focused on:

1. Analysing the results of programmes implemented through September 2007
2. Detailing activities on national and sub-national levels, specific to collaboration between Ministries of Health, mobile populations, campaign synchronisation, media, and political advocacy strategies
3. Suggesting communication strategy and programme refinements for the next 6- to 12-month period, designed to support both Pakistan and Afghanistan's polio eradication efforts

This presentation gives an overview of polio communication activities in Afghanistan's southern region adjacent to the Pakistan border. This area is illustrated as encompassing 111 target villages for immunisation on the Afghan side of the shared border and 126 on the Pakistani side, with populations of 7,484 and 9,080 individuals, respectively.


In the Pakistani state of Killah Abdullah, five distinct zones of population movement have been identified along the Western border. One of these includes a major road and travel route, known as the Friendship Gate. Strategically placed Afghani vaccination teams here, and at other points along the state's border, vaccinate 400-500 children every day. Polio vaccination banners at the gate, as well branded hats and shirts carrying the polio eradication initiative (PEI) logo on the vaccinators themselves, ensure visibility of the campaign.


The border vaccination posts conduct immunisation activities each month. Oral polio vaccine (OPV) coverage levels were reported for each month from January to August 2007. These show a steady increase in the total number of children under 5 years of age covered in the months leading up to July and August (11,749 and 18,771 children, respectively).


In Spin Boldak, another key area of high cross-border population movement, meetings are held between community elders, notables, community health workers, and Imams to discuss polio vaccination.


The southern Afghan region also conducts the following regular cross-border communication activities:

• Weekly updating and sharing of information between teams in the region and the Balochistan team in Pakistan
• Sharing of communication plans 10 days before each immunisation round. This includes the sharing of a list of key influential people (religious and opinion leaders, teachers) on both sides of the border
• Improving visibility of cross-border vaccination points
• Sharing of campaign monitoring plans on both sides of the border
• Contacting religious leaders living on the Pakistan side of the border to convince their followers in Afghanistan
• Holding regular quarterly cross-border meetings

In order to refine and strengthen cross-border communication, the team suggests the development of a joint communication plan to include mass media involvement on both sides. In addition, social mapping of key influencers living on both sides of the border and a meeting of Health Ministers from both sides at the Friendship Gate border are seen as important next steps.

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