Public Relations in Health – I

How public teaching changed the country’s perspective.

Health education was always a contentious issue in India. The lack of awareness combined with lackadaisical approach by the public sector to fulfil the role in capacity of a welfare state led to a stagnant and constantly deteriorating situation. While on the one hand population boom overtook the rate at which State could evaluate, control or provide basic amenities, the rampant festering of terminal afflictions like Polio, Tuberculosis, Small Pox, Chicken pox continued to plight the country. It was a quite a contrast since modern medicine had significantly reduced the mortality rate. The cruel reality was India’s unmatched proclivity to reproduce wherein epidemics and pandemics were rather common and often forgotten. In this article, we focus on the initiative taken by governments over the years to educate rural sections on the importance of

a.       Hygiene, public and private

b.      Population and birth control

c.       Vaccinations against known diseases, such Polio, Hepatitis, Jaundice etc.

d.      Importance of regular health check ups

e.       Protection against environmental hazards

The technique of PR deals in disseminating information tailored to reach target audience while maintaining relevancy to the objective. We take up the case of rural sector. The problem existed in lack of knowledge about basic ailments. Polio is a success story in terms of combined efforts, recognition and systematic eradication of the same. The government launched the campaign starting in the late 70s and by 2014, WHO declared India a polio-free State for three years. This achievement was the result of thousands of foot soldiers going door to door administering the innocent but highly effective polio vaccine for free to all children under five. A deadly disease a majority of India’s present generation would have either perished or joined the army of sick and dying exponentially increasing the pressure on State Exchequer. The method was simple. Awareness seminars, regular broadcasts over television and radio, and demonstrably systematic education about the disease, its genetic effects, in schools, through newspaper articles encouraged the public to fight it and provide a healthy living for their children. Although it was too late for adults already living with the malaise, it transformed an entire generation. A lot of factors such a public speeches, successive governments making Polio-vaccination a primary goal in their manifestos, the participation of global leaders, ministers, also Bollywood actors and iconic pictures displaying PMs and CMs personally attending to delivering the vaccine, flagged off the drive with fresh energy every year. The government employed the method of healthy dialogue answering questions, encouraging debates, opening forums for people participation. 

The massive success can be attributed to women, solely responsible for the health and well-being of the family to rise to the challenge and sometimes cover miles to reach the nearest Polio vaccination centres. The winning strategy was free inoculation compulsory for all schools in rural and urban areas. Another winning factor was the simplicity in delivering the vaccine. From large needles leaving tattoo like marks, to small needles and finally to trivalent oral doses, polio vaccine made its way into strengthening the immunity of all and sundry. Immunization drives from state-specific programs to centre’s prompt response makes for an inspirational reading into India’s desperate effort to defeat this deadly disease right down to its winning end.

It was the relentless PR programme over several years resulting in a comparatively free and healthy India. Today we see several advertisements issued in public interest that constantly urges both the public and government to strengthen and make bold strides in fighting health problems to be at par with the world. A country is judged heavily by the public health system it maintains and promotes. It is the State’s duty but one can’t cure without the consent of the patient, which is where quality education steps in and PR bridges the gap effectively.