Afghanistan Polio Program Call Center with 141 toll-free number

 

Afghanistan Polio eradication program established a Call Center titled “Call for polio vaccine” at the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) in September 2023 to facilitate community listening, feedback loops, community education and awareness.

This call center with the toll free number (141) was launched as a result of the special attention of Dr. Nek Wali Shah Momin and technical and financial support of UNICEF in order to provide platform for telephonic queries and complaints about polio eradication to be addressed timely.

Likewise, it will deliver accurate information about the benefits of vaccines for polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases to the target audiences through telephone effective conversation, text, and voice messages to promote their acceptance in the community.

This Center will be a two-way communication channel; in addition to performing as a call reception center, there will be capability to call out to specific recipients (target groups) to provide information on vaccines, vaccinations, and encourage caregivers to vaccinate their children against polio and other childhood diseases.

 

OBJECTIVES

It is pretending to mention that there are two other regional call centers in south and east regions of the country which are involved in monitoring of the program and are connected with this national call center. Their objectives include the areas of communication, monitoring and survey of polio eradication program as follows:

For communication purposes:

  • National CC: Promote vaccine acceptance through tele-education (IVR) and awareness raising via SMS, and in refusal areas via direct and targeted phone calls
  • National CC: Hot line Addressing misinformation, queries, complaints, and suggestions by properly answering queries and documenting and referring complaints.

 Monitoring

  • National and Regional CC: To conduct remote monitoring of SIA activities in pre-intra and post campaign phases with FLW (PPO, DPO, PCO, DCO, Vaccinators, Social Mobilizers, influencers, Cluster supervisors, District coordinators) as well as with community members.
  • National CC: To monitor the preparedness, implementation, and assessment activities of the regional and provincial teams (REOC, REMT, PEMT) according to planned campaign activities.

Survey

  • National and Regional CC: Understand caregivers’ perception and awareness of vaccinations
  • Or any other surveys/studies/research

National CC Staff:

There are totally 12 persons including one supervisor, 10 call agents (5 male agents, 5 female agents) and 1 national data analyst in the call center work from 08:00 Am to 4:00 PM and in future the evening shift will be also added. This call center technically and financially supported by UNICEF.

Similarly, the southern call center in Kandahar province and the eastern call center in Nangarhar province operate from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, each staffed by eight personnel, including their supervisors.