Abdul Rahim: A Dedicated Volunteer in the Fight Against Polio in Paktika
Paktika, Afghanistan – Morning rain has cleared the air in Wazakhwa district of Paktika province, and villagers are heading off to their daily tasks.
But among them walks a man on a different mission — Abdul Rahim, around 50 years old, with a blue vaccine carrier box slung over his shoulder. Alongside his colleagues, he is heading to the village of Ghushta to protect children from the poliovirus.
Abdul Rahim, who has served as a volunteer in polio vaccination campaigns for the past three years, says, “I carry out this work as a responsibility to my community; a healthy future for children matters more to me than anything else.”
After finishing school and completing basic training in health, Abdul Rahim says he always aspired to play a role in improving people’s lives.
According to him, that aspiration is what familiarized him with the polio eradication programme, after which he began working as a volunteer in the vaccination campaigns.
“Polio is a virus that constantly threatens the lives of our children. Its consequences — lifelong paralysis or even death — are devastating. I want to protect the children of my community and my country from this danger,” he says.
But in his fight against polio, Abdul Rahim doesn’t stop at vaccinating children — he also works to raise awareness and change public perceptions.
“In addition to delivering polio vaccines to every child in my assigned area, I also work to raise public awareness,” he says. “Through this, I’ve convinced many families who had previously refused to vaccinate their children due to misinformation.”
In this regard, he gives the example of Khan Mohammad, a local resident who used to refuse vaccination for his children.
“Initially, Khan Mohammad believed that giving polio vaccines to children was a conspiracy,” he states. “But I spent several days providing accurate, evidence-based information, and eventually convinced him that the vaccine isn’t a plot — it’s a tool to protect our children from this deadly and paralyzing disease.”
Since then, Khan Mohammad has been regularly vaccinating his children in every campaign and says he is glad he took the right step for their healthy future before it was too late.
Abdul Rahim says in his message to such families: “Your children are your most precious asset. Their lives hold immense value — not just for you, but for the entire community. Don’t let misinformation and rumors put their lives at risk.”
Abdul Rahim administers polio vaccine drops to a young girl in Gushta village, Wazakhwa district © Polio Free Afghanistan, 2025
He adds that all vaccines, including the polio vaccine, are approved by international health organizations and protect children from life-threatening diseases.
Mohammad Ibrahim is another young volunteer and an active member of Abdul Rahim’s team who shares his experiences in the fight against polio.
He says, “In addition to vaccinating children against polio, we also educate parents. We listen patiently to their concerns and try to respond to them. We deliver our message with respect for the community’s religious beliefs, culture, and family values.”
He adds that, as a team, their mission is to win people’s trust through clarity, consistency, and sustained awareness — so that everyone can come together to fight polio.
Abdul Rahim and his team have also gained the support of local religious scholars; an effort that has further strengthened trust in public health initiatives.
Gushta’s central mosque imam, Mawlawi Sher Adam, says: “Abdul Rahim and his colleagues are carrying out an important duty by protecting our children from the dangerous disease of polio.”
Mawlawi Sher Adam assures that he, along with all the residents of the area, not only supports Abdul Rahim’s efforts but also stands with him in the field of duty.
He calls on the public to ensure that if they want their children to avoid paralysis and not become a burden on society in the future, they must vaccinate them regularly in every campaign.
Every day, thousands of volunteers like Abdul Rahim deliver the polio vaccine to children in Afghanistan’s most remote and challenging areas.
Their efforts are aimed at protecting the next generation. Let’s support them and work together toward a brighter, healthier, and more prosperous society.
