SBCC strategy to increase immunization rate in Raghopur block, Vaishali district
Dastak (Hindi term literally meaning
‘knock’) – was an SBCC campaign in Vaishali district, Bihar which aimed to
‘knock at the door to knock out vaccine-preventable diseases’. The door-to-door
campaign strengthened the efforts of the frontline government field staff
(ASHA, AWC, and ANM) by mobilizing and engaging with local communities,
especially community leaders and elders. The objectives of this community
engagement were to:
- Increase awareness about routine immunization and its benefits
- Understand reasons why some members of the community do not fully immunize their children below two years of age
- Identify role models, a community champion to support ASHA in persuading parents for routine immunization
- Increase parental communication for routine immunization through community-based innovative games
- Create supportive environment that strengthens the efforts of ASHA/AWW/ANM to counsel and persuade parents to fully immunize children below two years of age
SBCC strategy to increase immunization rate in Raghopur block, Vaishali district
The four week DASTAK campaign showed many fold increase in the immunization level in selected areas of Raghopur block, Bihar. At the core of the campaign was the formation of DASTKA Dal, a volunteer-based, low cost, and community driven model. It required external facilitation to bring different agencies and stakeholders together – a role that was played by CCC-I. The model can be applied in other health interventions as well.
