The struggle of female polio workers

Women brave heat and rough terrain to inoculate children door-to-door

JAMPUR: Braving the heat and rough terrain, 38-year-old Kundan Bibi travels approximately 50 kilometres from her home, conquering mountainous regions, desserts and tribal areas in an effort to administer polio drops to children below the age of five.

Due to the harsh and unforgiving weather, it becomes extremely difficult to walk door-to door. However, despite lacking basic amenities such as water, we try to perform our duty with the utmost responsibility, she said.

Every month, an estimated 4 million children are vaccinated in Rajanpur, Muzzafargarh, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Vehari, Lodhran and Khanewal.

A testament to the efforts of polio workers, not a single case has been reported in South Punjab in 2018. But these districts, situated around the banks of River Indus and River Chenab are located on South Punjab’s tribal belt, are connected to some of the most conservative areas of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa.



The weather is especially problematic due to the fact that the oral polio vaccination (OPV) and the inactivated poliovirus (IPV) have to be stored in temperatures between 0 degree Celsius and 10 degree Celsius in order to maintain the efficacy of the vaccines, informed Dr Shahid Khokar who works at Jampur Tehsil Headquarter Hospital.

In such areas, the weather goes up to 50 degree Celsius, making it imperative to keep the vaccines cool, he added.

For this, female polio workers carry insulated bags full of ice, which is an actual physical requirement of their job.

Lugging around heavy bags full of ice is physical draining, while trying to convince people to vaccinate their children, especially in villages, is mentally exhausting, explained 28-year-old Naghma Bibi, who works as a polio worker in a region near the River Indus.

Dr Murtaza Gurmani, head of the anti-polio efforts in Jampur, recognised the efforts of female polio workers. “They play a pivotal role in the fight against the disease,” he said while speaking to The Express Tribune. He added that due to their efforts, there has been a decrease in the number of polio cases reported.

However, despite their dedication to their job, female polio workers face a whole slew of problems which prevent them from performing their duty efficiently.

Firstly, the government needs to increase their salary, stated Azhar Sheikh, CEO of Care and Cure, a nongovernment organisation. I have witnessed their dedication firsthand; our organisation used to hold functions and events to appreciate their service, he explained.

The tribal and rural areas around River Indus in South Punjab are home to dangerous gangsters and militants, but this does not deter these courageous ladies, he expressed.

Despite their troubles, female polio workers continue onwards in the fight against polio, for one very simple reason; they understand what it means to be a mother.

“We understand the importance of administering the vaccine because’ we are mothers too,” expressed another polio worker, 37-year-old Zareena Bibi. “No woman can bear to see her child face a life of adversity, which is why we try our best to reach and inoculate every single child in this region and why we will do our utmost best to fulfil all the responsibilities of this job come rain or shine,” she articulated.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2018.