Using new vaccine momentum and community engagement to strengthen pneumonia and diarrhea control
Today, pneumonia and diarrhea remain the leading child killers, especially in disadvantaged communities with limited access to sanitation, clean water, good nutrition, and health services.Newly available vaccines against pneumococcus and rotavirus, the leading causes of pneumonia and diarrhea, offer new hope in saving children’s lives. However, as the new vaccines will not protect children against all causes of pneumonia and diarrhea, the combination of immunization with other interventions including intensified nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation will maximize their impact.
Communication is key to ensure that individuals and communities will not only rely on immunization to protect children against pneumonia and diarrhea, but that they also engage in the desired healthy practices that have been shown to offer essential protection to a child’s health, such as timely attendance at routine immunization sessions, early and exclusive breastfeeding, handwashing with soap, provision of appropriate home care, and prompt care-seeking in response to “danger signs.”
In partnership, UNICEF is developing a new framework, based on national program goals for pneumonia and diarrhea control, to guide countries in developing technically coherent communication strategies that support caregivers, communities, and healthcare personnel to adopt appropriate healthy actions while facilitating coordination across programs and strengthening communication capacity. The framework is supported by an ongoing partnership of communication and program experts representing leading NGOs, bilateral and multilateral institutions, public health partnerships, UNICEF, and WHO. The framework will be tested in-country and developed to include key practices and lessons learned.
For more information, see "Consultation on Communication for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Control and New Vaccine Introduction" (available on the UNICEF website).