Eradicating polio in Pakistan
Meet Shumaila Rehmani, a mum of three in Pakistan who works as a polio vaccinator. Every day, Shumaila travels several kilometres on foot, going from house to house to vaccinate the children in her community against the debilitating disease.
Since the global eradication effort began in 1988, the number of polio cases has fallen by 99.9%, and much of this progress is thanks to polio workers, like Shumaila, who have vaccinated more than 3 billion children over the last 33 years. Currently, the disease remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is why Shumaila is on a mission to ensure the future of her community is polio free.
The job of a polio-vaccinator may seem pretty straightforward, however the reality of working on the frontline of a vaccination drive is anything but. Shumaila sets out in the early hours of morning, carrying a cooler filled with vaccines and a detailed plan for the homes she needs to visit. Reaching every child in the community she serves, requires careful planning, constant connection, and a lot of patience.
While an overwhelming number of families support vaccination, Shumaila often faces strong resistance from families who refuse vaccination out of fear or a lack of information. Refusing to give up, Shumaila spends extra time with these families, listening to their concerns and gently correcting any misinformation. She regularly hosts information sessions for parents and engages community and religious leaders to help. Her dedication has paid off: of the 250 families who initially refused vaccinations in her community all but four have vaccinated their children after talking with her.
During the pandemic, Shumaila once again stepped up to serve her community. Drawing on her experience and connections she helped families contain the spread of the virus through handwashing and hygiene lessons.
Thanks to the thousands of dedicated health workers like Shumaila, Pakistan only recorded one wild polio case in 2021, compared with 84 in 2020. For Shumaila, her dream of a polio free future for her three children began with a single question. “If other countries can be polio free, why can’t Pakistan be?”
