Afghanistan is one of the few countries in the world where polio still exists.
Yet eradication of the highly contagious disease, which attacks the nervous system and causes paralysis, is in sight. 大象传媒 Media Action is harnessing the power of local and national radio to help end polio and combat other childhood diseases.
Ghamai (meaning 鈥榡ewel鈥� in Pashto) is a weekly radio show featuring drama, special reports and interviews with health experts to help give families in Afghanistan information to keep their families happy and healthy.
The programme, broadcast on the 大象传媒 World Service and local radio stations, covers a range of topics each week including vaccinations, nutrition and breastfeeding.
After listening to one episode, Zarbibi, a mother from Afghanistan鈥檚 Farah province told us 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know anything about breastfeeding but after listening to your programme, I now know the benefits for my children.鈥�
Dr Noorulhaq Yousafzai, head of Indira Ghandi Children鈥檚 Hospital in Kabul, answers questions from listeners on a weekly basis. 鈥淚n rural areas, access to health professionals is limited and for cultural reasons some women in Afghanistan can鈥檛 leave their house鈥� says the show鈥檚 presenter. 鈥淩adio helps bring doctors into people鈥檚 homes.鈥�
Sadiqa, a housewife from Ghazni province called in for health advice, after gaining permission from her brother to use his phone. 鈥淚 have a sore throat but my family won鈥檛 let me go to the doctor鈥hen I heard your programme I became hopeful that I would receive鈥nformation about treatment.鈥�
To ensure the health and vaccination information is relevant locally, we also provide editorial training and mentoring to local radio partners in target areas to support them to produce health-related radio content.
Laila, a 20 year-old producer and presenter from Radio Nargis, an all-women-run-radio station in eastern Afghanistan, told us, 鈥湸笙蟠� Media Action training helped me produce four programmes to help [women] prevent polio, malnutrition and diarrhoea.鈥� She hopes to make many more.
We are also advised on scenes tackling child health issues in the popular long-running radio drama, New Home, New Life, produced by our partner, the (AEPO).
Project information
| Project name | Strengthening Childhood Vaccination in Afghanistan |
| Funder | |
| Dates | 2015-2017 |
| Theme | Health |
| Outputs | Radio and capacity building |
| Broadcast partners | 大象传媒 World Service |
| Partner | 大象传媒 Afghan Service; Afghan Education Production Organisation (AEPO) and provincial radio stations: Radio Muzhdeh, Herat; Radio Nargis, Nangarhar; Radio Sabawon, Helmand; Radio Sole Paigham, Khost; |