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Pakistan administers at least 300 million doses of oral vaccine annually with the help of more than 350,000 vaccinators across the country. The target population – children aged five and below – numbers about 43 million [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]By Faras GhaniPublished On 18 Jun 202418 Jun 2024
Polio remains endemic in two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
To counter the spread of the disease, Pakistan launched an eradication campaign in 1994. The country used to report 20,000 cases annually, according to government health officials, yet while the figure has come down significantly (five so far this year), the spread continues.
Pakistan administers more than 300 million doses of oral vaccine annually with the help of at least 350,000 vaccinators, according to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme.
Health workers, as well as accompanying security officials, are often harassed, ridiculed, taunted, threatened and targeted physically. At least 102 have been killed, government sources say, including during campaigns carried out this year.
Amid these attacks, and refusals of vaccination, health workers also face low pay, salary delays, and tough working conditions. Some told Al Jazeera they are paid as little as 1,360 rupees (approx $5) for an eight-hour day.
Polio survivors working on the eradication campaign said they receive no transport or health benefits despite their condition, leaving them to walk through tough terrain and demanding weather conditions when carrying out their work.
Security officials accompany polio workers in the field. At least 102 vaccination workers, officials and security personnel have been killed over the past three decades, including in campaigns this year. Field workers are often harassed, taunted, and verbally and physically abused as they go door to door administering vaccines. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]Field workers often experience vaccine refusals at the end of journeys through tough terrain and demanding weather conditions. In this area on the outskirts of Karachi, temperatures reach 40C. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]Since 2015, Pakistan has reported 357 polio cases, including five this year. A two-year-old boy died in May. In addition to human cases, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has frequently been detected in environmental samples taken across the country. This year, WPV1 has been found in 44 out of 159 districts across the country. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]Polio survivor Ayesha Raza is now part of the eradication campaign. She goes door to door handing out vaccines in the eastern city of Lahore. ‘I try to convince parents who refuse vaccines for their kids by telling them my own story,’ Raza said. [Courtesy: Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative]In addition to the door-to-door administering of oral vaccines during campaigns, the service is also provided at health centres across the country. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]In addition to polio vaccines, these health centres carry out routine immunisation for the children brought to them. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]Aamir Ali has had polio since he was four years old. After his studies and a job at a call centre, Ali decided to join the polio eradication campaign in 2020. Amid the hardships and demanding conditions, he says his aim is not to look back at what happened to him but to ensure ‘no kid is left behind’. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]A mural, partially obstructed, reminding parents of the polio campaign at a health centre in the Landhi area of Karachi. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]A health worker in the northwestern city of Peshawar marks the door of a house at which she has administered polio vaccinations. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]Polio workers go from door to door in the Sohrab Goth area of Karachi as the temperature touches the 40C mark. The workers say the area does not have a lot of houses but has a high number of young children. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]Officials say they aim to reach more than 43 million children aged five and below in every campaign they carry out. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]A field worker, communication officer and local influencer during a campaign in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area. Officials secure the help of local influencers to reduce refusals and help spread awareness. [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]
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