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When immunization rates dip, legislation is often strengthened. But does the evidence stack up? When immunization rates dip, legislation is often strengthened. But does the evidence stack up?, Author(s): Liam Drew Author Affiliations: Illustration by David Parkins The case for mandatory vaccination In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the United Kingdom had eradicated the infectious [...]

Since 1988, the world has come very close to eradicating polio through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, in which communication interventions have played a consistently central role. Mass media and information dissemination approaches used in immunization efforts worldwide have contributed to this success. However, reaching the hardest-to-reach, the poorest, the most marginalized and those without access to health services has been challenging. In the last push to eradicate polio, Polio Eradication Initiative communication strategies have become increasingly research-driven and innovative, particularly through the introduction of sustained interpersonal communication and social mobilization approaches to reach unreached populations. This review examines polio communication efforts in India and Pakistan between the years 2000 and 2007. It shows how epidemiological, social and behavioural data guide communication strategies that have contributed to increased levels of polio immunity, particularly among underserved and hard-to-reach populations. It illustrates how evidence-based and planned communication strategies--such as sustained media campaigns, intensive community and social mobilization, interpersonal communication and political and national advocacy combined--have contributed to reducing polio incidence in these countries. Findings show that communication strategies have contributed on several levels by: mobilizing social networks and leaders; creating political will; increasing knowledge; ensuring individual and community-level demand; overcoming gender barriers and resistance to vaccination; and reaching out to the poorest and marginalized populations. The review concludes with observations about the added value of communication strategies in polio eradication efforts and implications for global and local public health communication interventions. Depuis 1988, le monde s'est beaucoup rapproche de l'eradication de la polio grace a l'Initiative mondiale pour l'eradication de la poliomyelite, dans laquelle les interventions en matiere de communication jouent invariablement un role central. Les approches utilisant les mass medias pour diffuser des informations appliquees dans le cadre des efforts de vaccination partout dans le monde ont participe ace succes. Cependant, les personnes les plus difficiles a. atteindre, les plus pauvres, les plus marginalisees et celles ne pouvant acceder aux services de sante ont pose de grandes difficultes. Dans cette derniere offensive pour vaincre la polio, les strategies de communication de l'Initiative mondiale pour l'eradication de la poliomyelite sont de plus en plus innovantes et portees par la recherche, notamment avec l'introduction d'approches de communication interpersonnelle durable et de mobilisation sociale pour atteindre les populations encore non desservies. La revue examine les efforts de communication concernant la polio entrepris en Inde et au Pakistan entre 2000 et 2007. Elle montre comment les donnees epidemiologiques, sociales et comportementales guident les strategies de communication contribuant a accroitre les niveaux d'immunite contre cette maladie, en particulier parmi les populations non desservies et difficiles a atteindre. Elle illustre la facon dont des strategies de communication etayees par des donnees factuelles et planifiees--telles que les compagnes prolongees utilisant les medias, la mobilisation communautaire et sociale intensive, la communication interpersonnelle et la sensibilisation politique et nationale--ont participe globalement a reduire l'incidence de la polio dans ces pays. Les resultats montrent que les strategies de communication ont apporte une contribution a, plusieurs niveaux en mobilisant les reseaux et les leaders sociaux--en creant une volonte politique, en elargissant les connaissances--en garantissant une demande au niveau individuel et communautaire et en permettant de surmonter les obstacles lies a l'appartenance sexuelle et la resistance a la vaccination, ainsi que d'atteindre les populations pauvres et marginalisees. La revue conclut avec des observations sur la valeur ajoutee des strategies de communication dans le cadre des efforts d'eradication de la polio et sur leurs implications pour les interventions mondiales et locales de communication en sante publique. Gracias a los esfuerzos desplegados desde 1988 a traves de la Iniciativa de Erradicacion Mundial de la Poliomielitis, el mundo esta a punto de erradicar esta enfermedad. En esa empresa las intervenciones de comunicacion han sido siempre decisivas, y las tacticas de recurso a los medios de difusion y divulgacion de informacion empleadas en las actividades de inmunizacion en todo el mundo han contribuido a ese exito. Sin embargo, ha habido dificultades para Ilegar alas poblaciones mas remotas, mas pobres y mas marginadas y alas personas sin acceso a los servicios de salud. En la ultima acometida para erradicar la enfermedad, las estrategias de comunicacion de la Iniciativa de Erradicacion de la Poliomielitis se han visto cada vez mas impulsadas por las investigaciones y han tenido un caracter crecientemente innovador, gracias sobre todo a la introduccion de mecanismos sostenidos de comunicacion interpersonal y movilizacion social para Ilegar a las poblaciones que quedaban fuera del alcance. En esta revision se analizan los esfuerzos de comunicacion contra la poliomielitis desplegados en la India y el Pakistan entre 2000 y 2007. Se explica como los datos epidemiologicos, sociales y comportamentales orientan las estrategias de comunicacion que han contribuido a aumentar los niveles de inmunidad contra esa enfermedad, sobre todo entre poblaciones subatendidas y de dificil acceso, y se describe el proceso por el que unas estrategias de comunicacion basadas en la evidencia y planificadas en consecuencia -como una combinacion de campafias sostenidas en los medios, una movilizacion comunitaria y social intensiva, formulas de comunicacion interpersonal, y medidas politicas y de promocion a nivel nacional- han contribuido a reducir la incidencia de poliomielitis en esos parses. Los resultados indican que las estrategias de comunicacion han contribuido en distintos niveles a: movilizar alas redes y los lideres sociales; generar voluntad politica; ampliar los conocimientos; garantizar la demanda individual y comunitaria; superar las barreras de genero y la resistencia a la vacunacion; y dar alcance alas poblaciones mas pobres y marginadas. El analisis concluye con diversas observaciones sobre el valor anadido de las estrategias de comunicacion en las actividades de erradicacion de ta poliomielitis y sus implicaciones para las intervenciones mundiales y locales de comunicacion en materia de salud publica., Introduction Since 1988 the world has come very close to eradicating polio through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, (1) a programme in which communication interventions have played a consistently central [...]

Dr Guenael Rodier earned his MD and public health qualification at the University of Paris in his native France. He started his career as a private general practitioner in Djibouti [...]

One third of smokers live in China and annually more than a million deaths occur due to smoking related diseases in China. Though China relies on tobacco industry for its economic growth with cigarette sales generating 7.6 percent of government's revenue in 2005 in taxes and profits, it has signed WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco control, which aims to reduce tobacco use.

It seems self-evident that it would be useful to have a way of comparing alcohol policies between countries. A metric to compare countries would enable improvements or changes to be [...]

WHO's newly proposed rules on the disclosure of data when researchers register clinical trials they are planning has drawn a mixed reaction from corporations, academic and other institutions funding pharmaceutical [...]

While a recent study has found that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) pose less of a health risk than conventional cigarettes, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a ban on [...]

At the 56th World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization's (WHO's) 192 member states unanimously adopted the world's first public health treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It […]