Drums, Drama, and Dosages: Utilizing Culturally Anchored Edutainment Strategies to Improve Vaccine Acceptance in Northern Nigeria
1
Research and Knowledge Management, ACE Strategy and Consults Limited, Abuja, Nigeria
2
Programs, ACE Strategy and Consults Limited, Abuja, Nigeria
3
Programs, Solina Centre for International Development and Research, Abuja, Nigeria
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3933
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Despite the elimination of wild poliovirus, Nigeria reported 98 cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in 2024 (about one-third of global cases) with Northern Nigeria disproportionately affected due to widespread cultural barriers, mistrust, and misinformation about vaccination.1-4 Community-informed approaches offer participatory platforms to build trust and promote acceptance of public health interventions.5-7 Accordingly, we co-designed a culturally anchored edutainment intervention to support the Sub-National Immunization Days (SNIDs) campaign, leveraging local arts such as traditional drumming and drama to enhance vaccine acceptance. This study assesses the influence of culturally anchored edutainment on polio vaccination awareness and acceptance and explores ways to refine future interventions.
METHODS:
A participatory, multi-stage design process was used, informed by field experience and refined through consultations with local stakeholders. The final intervention strategies included modified mobile announcement vans (Keke), comic dancers (Papalolo), traditional drummers (Mai Kalangu), drama troupes, and Majigi video shows, tailored to local contexts. Delivery was in two phases: pre-intervention sensitisation and during-intervention mobilisation, across six states in Northern Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted (n = 622), employing structured questionnaires with caregivers and analyzed descriptively.
RESULTS:
Nearly half of respondents (47%) came from non-compliant households, underscoring the depth of resistance we sought to address. For many caregivers, edutainment was their first meaningful source of vaccination information (38%), with mobile announcement vans (37%) and local comedians (31%) emerging as the most engaging formats. Encouragingly, most caregivers (78%) described the activities as highly educational, and almost half (44%) shared that the experience directly influenced their decision to vaccinate their child, highlighting the powerful role of culturally grounded engagement in shaping health behaviors.
CONCLUSIONS:
Culturally anchored edutainment is a participatory communication platform for improving vaccine awareness, trust, and acceptance in high-hesitancy settings. Scaling such community-informed approaches offers a promising pathway to strengthening immunisation demand.
Despite the elimination of wild poliovirus, Nigeria reported 98 cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in 2024 (about one-third of global cases) with Northern Nigeria disproportionately affected due to widespread cultural barriers, mistrust, and misinformation about vaccination.1-4 Community-informed approaches offer participatory platforms to build trust and promote acceptance of public health interventions.5-7 Accordingly, we co-designed a culturally anchored edutainment intervention to support the Sub-National Immunization Days (SNIDs) campaign, leveraging local arts such as traditional drumming and drama to enhance vaccine acceptance. This study assesses the influence of culturally anchored edutainment on polio vaccination awareness and acceptance and explores ways to refine future interventions.
METHODS:
A participatory, multi-stage design process was used, informed by field experience and refined through consultations with local stakeholders. The final intervention strategies included modified mobile announcement vans (Keke), comic dancers (Papalolo), traditional drummers (Mai Kalangu), drama troupes, and Majigi video shows, tailored to local contexts. Delivery was in two phases: pre-intervention sensitisation and during-intervention mobilisation, across six states in Northern Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted (n = 622), employing structured questionnaires with caregivers and analyzed descriptively.
RESULTS:
Nearly half of respondents (47%) came from non-compliant households, underscoring the depth of resistance we sought to address. For many caregivers, edutainment was their first meaningful source of vaccination information (38%), with mobile announcement vans (37%) and local comedians (31%) emerging as the most engaging formats. Encouragingly, most caregivers (78%) described the activities as highly educational, and almost half (44%) shared that the experience directly influenced their decision to vaccinate their child, highlighting the powerful role of culturally grounded engagement in shaping health behaviors.
CONCLUSIONS:
Culturally anchored edutainment is a participatory communication platform for improving vaccine awareness, trust, and acceptance in high-hesitancy settings. Scaling such community-informed approaches offers a promising pathway to strengthening immunisation demand.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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