WIF, in collaboration with CORE- UNICEF, joined the intensive emergency response to the polio case of January 2011 in Howrah through community mobilizers with specific emphasis on Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) targeting resistant families leading to improved OPV coverage in 14 wards of Howrah Municipality.

Objective:

• Capacity Building of the Mobilizers/ BC/PC on Pulse Polio through trainings.
• Awareness generation through dissemination of information on eradication of polio through IEC materials & meetings.
• To develop linkages with Government & local doctors and other partners like WHO, NPSP to facilitate social mobilization for polio eradication activities.
• Involvement of parents as well as mobilizers and community in polio eradication as key persons.

Target group: 0-5 years children covering all leaving none.

Activities:

Ward Level Task Force Meeting, Influential persons' meeting, Inter Personal Communication, Mother and Father's meeting, Polio class, school children rally, pre booth health camp, talking doll show, magic show, auto campaigning, mobilisers' training and workshop, polio booth day, house to house visit, XR/XS conversion, opening lock house, attending district municipal level task force, participation in vaccinators and mobilisers' reorientation training, meeting with partners NPSP, meeting with borough level medical officers, mosque announcement, booth inauguration by influential person, IEC distribution.

Achievements:

Quantitative-

• 2706 Children were provided with health check-up, medicines were immunized through 35 health camps.
• 246 Inter Personal Communication was organized in 10 wards.
• 260 Influential Meetings were conducted which included local school teachers, ward councilors, club members, local doctors, mosque members, shop keepers, small eatery owners, tailors and influential, key Community persons. They also visited X houses i.e. the resistant houses/families who refused to treat their children with polio drops, houses having sick children
• 27 magic shows and talking doll shows were held, through which mass awareness were generated among the communities.
• 103 Polio classes were held in different schools. The participants included Headmasters, teachers, students and their guardians. WIF distributed Comics amongst the students after the Polio class. The colourful book was well received.
• 15 Auto campaigns, which covered all the project specific wards including resistant and sick pockets. The autos were decorated with banners and flags. Polio messages were conveyed through mikes. IEC materials were distributed among the bystanders.
• 51 rallies were organized as active participants. IEC materials such as handbills in Urdu and Hindi were distributed among the bystanders.
• Mosque announcements were made by the Imams during SNIDs. Appeal letters from the District Magistrate were distributed among the social mobilisers and they handed over the letters to the Secretary and Imams for announcement.
• Bolao Toli:, A new concept was introduced which was implemented during the September SNID. 5-10 children formed a group under the supervision of the Social Mobilisers in each ward. A total of 35 ‘Bolao Toli' worked during the SNID. This was very effective in bringing children and guardians to the booth. The children in the ‘Bolao Toli were provided with badges.
• IEC materials such as Titli, inland letters, leaflets in Hindi, Urdu and Bengali. Comic books, posters, caps and flags were distributed for polio class rallies etc.
• Trainings were given time to time to update the PCs, BCs, mobilisers on communication skills for social mobilization.

Qualitative:

• Strong network between the communities, mobilisers, WIF and the Government Health department's representatives at field and policy & Management level who are the Government Supervisors and Doctors, Zonal Medical officers & Municipal Medical officers. Through National Polio Surveillance Programs, District Level Task Force Meetings, Municipal Task Force Meetings, meetings at Borough and Zonal level.
• A huge acceptance and appreciation of the work done by WIF in mobilization at community level leading to visible success implementation and efficiency in micro planning.
• Increase in wards given to WIF by popular demand from the Senior Medical Officers and demand for undisturbed continuation of our interventions. The creation of a model in ward no. 34 has led to WIF being able to take on ward 38 under Borough IV, since the rate of XR house were more and it was difficult for Government Health representatives to convert them into positive.
• WIF facilitated retention of Routine Immunization Cards and has prepared a ward wise list for those who had lost their cards.
• Increase in booth coverage.