High Level Editors' Meet on World Immunization Week

This article reports on an editors' meet-up organised as a follow-up of an Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) partnership project on routine immunisation, initiated in July 2011. Over 20 national and state editors came together for a brainstorming session, as part of World Immunization Week.

Amongst the lessons to emerge:

• Health communication needs to be simple and effective. According to Indian journalist Vinod Mehta, "[s]trategies like celebrity endorsements as seen in the case of the polio program can make a huge difference."
• There is a need for two-way flow of information between the media and health authorities. Kounteya Sinha, Health Editor, Times of India said: "We are interested in doing good stories. Immunization is a major problem area for the country and we are only too eager to help provided there is complete transparency."
• Hindi daily editors pointed out that, in areas where both media penetration and immunisation coverage is low, means of communication such as mobile phones should be used.
• Another participant in the event highlighted the need for media to focus on the frontline workers, who are crucial for delivering health services in remote areas.
• Chief of Health at UNICEF said, “One of the most important parts of routine immunisation is to follow a routine, and we need media to help continue that routine. If demand side is strong, supply side will also be strong and media should be the voice of the demand side."
• There is a need for large-scale partnerships to continue catalysing interactions between national and state media through IGNOU's video-conferencing and SMS (text messaging) networks, however, it was found that "district level media present in remote corners of priority states were the most important link in the puzzle and needed to be engaged with, on a regular basis."
• Several ideas to impact immunisation rates in the country emerged from the discussion. The role of soap operas, highlighting the role of frontline health workers, direct communication, branding of the campaign, building trust among the people, focusing on the target group (mothers and caregivers), improving delivery system, involvement of women political leaders at the local level, making social and religious connections, and long-term planning to reach out to people were some of the main points raised by the panelists.