A stakeholder’s meeting themed “Partner’s Morning Tea-Communicating about Baby Nila” organised by the Health Ministry, UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and WHO (World Health Organisation) took place this week.

The aim of the meeting was for stakeholders representing the private sector, NGOs, church groups and government officers to communicate, share ideas and discuss on how their ideas can be intertwined to help improve immunisation rates.

Acting Deputy Director of Health Promotions, Mr Peter Kafa shared a presentation titled “National Immunisation Communication Strategy”.

He spoke of the network in which this strategy was developed, the aims and objectives and briefly discussed the progress that has been made so far whilst other programmes that are yet to be implemented.

Mr Kafa also spoke about the “Strategy Mix”.

He explained that the strategy mix include broad areas which are ways that will channel the necessary and important information about immunization to different sectors of our society.

Mr Kafa said the four areas under strategy mix are; interpersonal communication, social mobilisation, advocacy and media engagement.

He explained that tools for interpersonal communication includes things like brochures, church announcements, counselling card, flip chart and schedule poster.

Mr Kafa said that brochures will be used for engaging parents, while counselling cards and flip charts will be used by health workers when they are at the task of educating parents.

He also mentioned that the schedule poster will also cater to health workers.

In addition, Mr Kafa said that tools for social mobilization and advocacy includes platforms like discussion guide for the former and briefing paper for high-level policy makers for the latter.

He then stresses that the tools for media engagement are; radio spot, press release, talk back show, daily radio health programme, SMS message and video.

Mr Kafa’s take on the strategy mix clearly speaks of how the health ministry plans to reach out to everyone in all walks of life in aid of spreading information regarding immunisation and why it is of great importance.