Central African Republic - Communication Consultants Report

Communication Objectives

• That 100% of the population receive the messages on the National Immunisation Days (NIDs)
• That they remember the dates of the NIDs
• That they understand the importance of the vaccination of the children <5
• That they understand the advantages of systematic vaccination
• That they participate in the NIDs during November and December 2004-11-18

And, that 100% of parents take their <5 children to be vaccinated by the second passage of the 2004 NIDs

Local Communication Committees



Weaknesses

• The committees met irregularly, they needed more information and training to improve upon their capacities and organising for the NID was interfered with by other activities such as Malaria and HIV campaigns.

Action Point

• To reinforce the practice of holding regular meetings

Area Communication



Strengths

• Throughout the townships, districts, and villages, populations were sensitised through the mobilisers/criers, the vicars, pastors of parishes, imams and preachers.
• Leaflets with announcements of the dates of the NID were distributed at the time of the communication sessions.

Weaknesses

• Irregularity of the follow-up meetings
• Intermittent sensitisation
• Need of the leaders to be motivated financially

Action Points

• To reinforce the holding of the follow-up meetings and active coordination
• To organise a meeting with the Scouts/Guides, Red Cross and to involve them in the mobilisation

Interagency Partnerships



Strengths

• Unicef, WHO, Rotary, COOPI, and GAVI involved in collaborative planning
• The At-Risk-Zones were jointly mapped and activities were jointly planned
• CCIA holds regular meetings

Weaknesses

• Limited budget to cover all needs

Action Points

• To assure the follow-up of the decisions of the CCIA with concrete actions

NGO Partnerships

Strengths

• Engagement of the leaders of the women’s NGOs (UFAC, OFCA)
• Collaboration with Scouts, Guides and Red Cross to contribute human capital to the mobilisation

Action Points

• To continue to recruitment and follow-up activities with NGO leaders: UFAC, OFCA, Scouts, Guides and Red Cross

Media

Strengths

• Extensive media plan with components for the public, private medias (religious), farming radios, written press
• Financial support from Unicef and national government

Weaknesses

• Limited overall coverage of FM radio

Action Points

• Monitoring of message diffusion
• Follow-up meetings for greater organisation and coordination

Interpersonal Communication Module Development

(For vaccinators, supervisors, mobilisers)

Strengths

• Guide on the development of effective messages
• Briefing guide on interpersonal communication strategy
• Briefing guide on social mobilisation

Action Points

• Briefing of media professionals on issues
• Further development and refinement of a media information packages

Decentralisation



Strengths

• 16 micro plans at the sanitary prefecture level
• Farming radios put to contribution
• Individual attention put on the channels suggested by the population: radio farming, criers/mobilisers, religious confessions

Weaknesses

• Budget overestimated for certain social mobilisation activities

Action Points

• To initiate the meetings of dialogues between the Chegses of the Districts inhabitants of the border zone

Involvement of all partners

Strengths

• Involvement of NGO, religious Chiefs, Scouts/Guides, Red Cross and women groups

Action Points

• More programming meetings to be held

Local Resource Usage

Strengths

• Evangelical concert of the Christian musicians (Catholic and Protestant) foreseen with the support of the Unicef to mobilise the local resources
• Religious confessions, Scouts/Guides and Red Crosses push the social mobilisation

Weaknesses

• The rules for management and validation of the funds are difficult
• Partners were distrustful of government management of the funds

Action Points

• Evangelical concert planned for November 07

Financial Allocation to Microplanning Activities

Strengths

• Contribution of the available Unicef and expenses in progress
• WHO recruits the national consultants to push the Zones to risks (RS N° 1, 2, 3, 4)

Weaknesses

• Government delay in the introduction of funding requests

Action Points

• To push the finalisation and the introduction of the requests of funds

External Level (Coordination between UNICEF national partners)

Strengths

• Functional and controlled CCIA by Minisanté
• Joint scheduling with the WHO focus on the At-Risk-Zones
• Work programme in progress with the COOPI to mobilise the Pygmy
• National committee of Coordination of the NIDs conducted at all levels; National, Prefectorial, Peripheral.

Weaknesses

• National Coordination Committee has been dormant since 2001
• The Minister of Health was on tour for the election campaign, and waited to preside over the first meeting of the National Committee of Coordination

Action Points

• Joint supervision of the Zones At Risk activities (Unicef + WHO)
• To initiate the recruitment of the mobilising among the Pygmy planned of the COOPI

Message Diffusion Characteristics

Strengths

• The sanitary messages are broadcasts during primetime: 19 to 20 hrs
• Broadcasts are co-produced with the population
• Broadcasts by farming radio are consistently heard by the villagers (65% coverage)

Weaknesses

• Insufficiency of the stations radios
• Villagers regroup around only one station radio

Action Points

• Diffusion of the spotlight on the NID programme from November 1st

Mediums Used

• National Public radio
• Television CentrAfricaine
• Farming radios
• Radios (3) private and religious
• Written press (5 dailies)

Strengths

• Engagement with person responsible for national media chains
• Distribution of the messages on the national chains and in the newspapers

Weaknesses

• Limited radio coverage (FM)
• Expenses of state controls paid by Unicef (chains radios)

Action Points

• Diffusion of the messages in progress

Leadership and Advocacy

Strengths

• Three delegates of the religious confessions participated in the Forum of Dakar
• Restitution of the Forum organised with the support of the Ministry and Unicef
• Pastoral letters written and distributed
• Delegated of religious confessions, of the NGO of the women participated to the development of the messages

Weaknesses

• Slow transmission of the pastoral letters of the national level toward the peripheral level

Action Point

• Transmission of the pastoral letters in progress

Fast Assessment System



Strengths

• Fast investigation achieved after the 2nd round and coverage widened with financial support of Unicef
• Involvement of many actors:
  
  • Department of Health
  • Chiefs of the Regions and sanitary prefectures
• Results were distributed to the regional and prefectorial levels
• Results being used to plan for 2nd NID

Action Points

• Fast investigations planned between the two NIDs
• Follow up meetings planned with stakeholders
• To use the results to plan for further rounds

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