On 14 to 27 October, CFSI sent out 256 community-based social mobilizers to all 39 municipalities in Lanao del Sur as well as Marawi City to conduct awareness drives about Polio immunization for the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio. About 196 of the social mobilizers that were hired are affiliated with the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA).
The awareness sessions in the municipalities in Lanao del Sur as well as Marawi City were participated by parents and caretakers where at least 10 in every gathering were men.
The volunteers, endorsed by Integrated Provincial Health Office Lanao del Sur (IPHO-LDS), oriented the communities about the initiative to persuade caretakers to immunize their children against polio. Some of the messages delivered include the misconception about vaccines and clarifying that vaccines are not haram (prohibited).
Part also of the awareness campaign is the courtesy visit to the municipal health officers and polio focals of each municipality to identify high-risk barangays who may have doubts on the vaccine. Barangay officials were also involved in the campaigns.
CFSI volunteers assisted RHU workers who administered the oral polio drops (OPVs) in the barangays by tracking the number of children administered with the vaccine and their caretakers. Households who refused or missed the vaccination were noted for return and follow-up activities
The Polio response aimed to immunize 147,000 or 95% of the total population of children aged five years old and below in the Province. The Department of Health (DOH) recently reported that the collective turnout of Round 1 of the immunization campaign reached 96% of its target.
The next rounds of immunization in Lanao del Sur and the entire Mindanao will be on 25 November to 7 December and 6 to 18 January 2020.
Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio is funded by the Department of Health (DOH) Central Office, World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Ministry of Health (MOH).
Other partners in the drive are the IPHO, BDA, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Philippine Red Cross, Mindanao Humanitarian Team (MHT), and Health Organization for Mindanao (HOM).
