Use of Culturally Sensitive Communication Strategies for Community Engagement against Polio Vaccine Hesitancy in Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

The vaccine hesitancy presents a major barrier to global eradication especially in areas
with various socioeconomic backgrounds like Niger State, Nigeria. This paper
investigated the possibility for communication plans to lower polio vaccine hesitancy by
concentrating on cultural context and community involvement approaches. It juxtaposes
conventional top-down communication paradigms with grassroots mobilisation projects,
including the Lapai campaign and religious leaders' involvement. The researchers
adopted a literature based method. The researchers argued that programmes integrating
cultural viewpoints can influence vaccine acceptance by increasing community trust and
ownership by analysing case studies and qualitative research from all over the country.
Obstacles to sustained success include a lack of resources, security dangers and
scalability. Findings showed that tailoring messages to local cultural and religious
contexts significantly improves vaccine acceptance. Specifically, engaging respected
community figures such as Islamic clerics, using local languages, including Ajami script
and employing culturally relevant media like dramas and pictorial materials have been
effective in dispelling misconceptions and building trust among hesitant populations.
Community-based volunteers fluent in local languages further enhance outreach,
particularly among nomadic and rural group. Despite these successes, challenges such as
resource constraints, misinformation and the need for sustained engagement remain.