Sistema Shyam TeleServices, the company that provides telecom services to over 16 million subscribers across India under the MTS brand, has partnered with the India Unite to End Polio Now campaign, supported by UNICEF. The campaign will create polio eradication awareness across five states — Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra.
As the telecom partner for the campaign, MTS will send out specially-designed SMSes to its subscribers in all the states informing them about the upcoming polio rounds on November 4.
The IUEPN campaign leverages private sector resources to enhance polio knowledge and vaccination throughout India, specifically targeting nomad and mobile populations. IUEPN achieves this by expanding the polio communication reach to high-risk groups and reinvigorating the polio messaging campaign to the masses with innovative communication mediums such as interactive booths, SMS and voice messaging, local folk theatre and other locally-driven messaging options, posters and wall paintings.
Polio booths
Under the campaign, polio booths will be set up at multiple locations across all five states to administer the drops to children.
According to Ashoo Sethi, Chief Operating Officer, Mumbai Circle, MTS India, “We at MTS believe in growing our business in a socially responsible manner. Our partnership with IUEPN to create awareness for polio eradication is a part of the same endeavour. We will reach out to the maximum number of people and notify them about getting their child secure against polio.”
MTS India has been associated with the IUEPN programme for more than two years now. The company has actively participated in awareness drives in several states including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana and Maharashtra, reminding people about the need to get their children vaccinated against polio.
The IUEPN campaign is an initiative implemented by Aidmatrix Foundation, and supported by UNICEF and a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the World Health Organisation, National Polio Surveillance Project, Rotary International and the US Centre for Disease Control.