It’s just vaccines. Distribute them. Immunize the kids. Job finished.
Not quite.
Eradicating a disease, much like other development work, involves politics, religion, and culture- forces beyond the health worker’s control. Yet, they can determine the success/failure of a program.
Polio is no different.
Women are hesistant to have male UNICEF workers come into their homes during vaccination rounds. Muslims have been resistant to the vaccine because of a baseless rumor (suggesting that the vaccine will sterilize their children and thus, decrease the overall Muslim population). Local politics continues to question the safety of the health workers and the availability of the vaccine (ie Afghanistan and Pakistan). Civil unrest and tensions reduces support and propoer distrubition of the vaccine (ie Nigeria).
Forget logistical challenges (hot temperatures, migrant populations, unsanitary conditions). Rather these political and cultural/religion-based roadblocks cause major setbacks.
So, what to do?
Listen. Listen to their grievances. Listen to their reasons for resistance. Listen to the political rhetoric.
And then, engage. But in their language and in their communities. Not long distance.
President Obama has suggested that he’d like to do just that. In his Cairo speech he said:
On science and technology, we will launch a new fund to support technological development in Muslim-majority countries, and to help transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create jobs. We will open centers of scientific excellence in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and appoint new Science Envoys to collaborate on programs that develop new sources of energy, create green jobs, digitize records, clean water, and grow new crops. And today I am announcing a new global effort with the Organization of the Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.
To read more about the politics of polio and how the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) can assist us in the fight against polio, see my most recent OpEd:
www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jul/26/leaving-a-mark-by-getting-rid-of-polio/
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