Is there is a job that is less appreciated in Pakistan today than that of the polio worker? These brave souls trudge through dangerous terrain and adverse weather conditions to ensure that every child in the country is administered the polio vaccination. In return, they receive meagre pay and face the daily possibility that they will be targeted by militants. In the last five years more than a hundred polio workers have been killed and even now they often choose to work without police protection because it helps them win the confidence of sceptical parents in the communities in which they operate. All they get in return is a daily pay of Rs400 – which was only increased this week to Rs500 after a video of a polio worker trudging through snow went viral. Polio workers can take satisfaction in knowing how many lives they have positively affected. From a high of 306 in 2014, confirmed polio cases fell to 12 in 2018. These polio workers are making a real difference and if the disease does end up being eradicated in the country, it will be entirely due to their efforts.
For Pakistan to officially be declared a polio-free country, it would need to go three consecutive years without a single case of polio. Despite all the progress that has been made, we are still far away from reaching that number. There are a number of reasons for that. Some still believe the militant propaganda that polio drops will sterilise their children and so do not welcome polio workers in their communities. Then, it has proven difficult to vaccinate children in remote parts of the country.
The first nationwide polio campaign of the year kicked off on January 21 with the aim of vaccinating 39 children. A total of 260,000 polio workers are on hand to turn this target into reality. Just last month, water samples from sewage in Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta and Rawalpindi among other places found traces of the polio virus. Since transmission of polio is lower in winter, this is the best time to achieve herd immunity. Should we do so, the tens of thousands of polio workers who have made this possible should be lauded for their bravery and selflessness.