Female Polio Vaccination Volunteers: “We are fighting for the complete eradication of polio”
Marzia frotan
Herat, Afghanistan – The female polio vaccine volunteers in Herat assert that they have joined the frontline battle against the poliovirus, and they pledge to persist in their efforts until the dangerous poliovirus is fully eradicated from the country.
One of these volunteers is Shabnam Khairi, who has been working as a vaccinator in the polio eradication program for the past year.
Shabnam Khairi, who is around 20 years of age, carries a polio vaccine carrier box on her shoulder as she goes door-to-door in the cold, rainy weather, requesting families to bring their children outside for vaccination.
Shabnam Khairi carrying a polio vaccine carrier on her shoulder as she goes door-to-door in the cold, rainy weather, requesting families to bring their children outside for vaccination. © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/ Marzia Frotan
She is a first-year student at Herat University’s Faculty of Science and resides with her family of five in the Ingil district of Herat.
During campaign days, she commutes 10 kilometers each morning in a shared taxi to join her colleagues. She then goes door-to-door in her designated area, ensuring that every child receives the polio vaccine.
She, who tirelessly strives for the complete eradication of the poliovirus, asserts, “The chilly weather has not affected our efforts. Despite the cold, I diligently go house-to-house, ensuring that every child receives vaccination. Over the last three days, we have successfully implemented the polio vaccination campaign, leaving no child unvaccinated within our designated areas of responsibility.”
Female polio vaccine volunteer going door to door to delivering polio vaccine to children. © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/ Marzia Frotan
Thanks to the relentless efforts of the province’s female volunteers, Herat has not recorded a single positive case of polio in the past four years, she shared.
“Our objective is the total eradication of the poliovirus from Afghanistan, and we will continue our efforts until we achieve this goal,” Khairi further emphasized.
Yasmin Sadeghi, another dedicated female volunteer from Herat, serves as a vaccinator in the polio eradication program, and for the past three years, she and her colleagues have worked diligently in their assigned area of Bekr Abad, situated in the southern part of Herat city.
This committed female volunteer states that her main priority during the polio vaccination campaign is to safeguard children from the deadly disease of polio.
A female vaccinator administering the polio vaccine to a child. © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/ Marzia Frotan
She stated that in recent times, adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow, and cold prevented many families from taking their children out for vaccination. However, volunteers entered their homes and ensured that children receive vaccination.
“Our city continues to face the risk of the poliovirus, and that is why we are making strenuous efforts to ensure that every child gets vaccinated,” she added.
Herat is one of Afghanistan’s most culture-oriented provinces, where many societal restrictions are prevalent.
Kiana Rahimi, coordinator of vaccination campaigns in Herat, mentions that the volunteers managed to overcome the existing restrictions and were able to enter homes and vaccinate children in the arms of their mothers.
“In our society, families do not allow women to bring their children to male vaccinators for immunization.” She further added.
According to her, the female volunteers, through the polio campaign, were successful in overcoming this barrier and were able to vaccinate children without any challenges.
Rahimi stated that had there been only male vaccinators in Herat City, more than half of the children might have missed vaccinations due to family dissent.
“In addition to administering vaccinations to children at their homes, female volunteers also educate women and other family members about the importance of polio vaccination,” she emphasized.
It’s worth noting that 90 percent of the polio vaccine volunteers in Herat are women. These dedicated women are actively involved in ensuring every child receives the polio vaccine. Their active participation serves as a testament to their dedication to public health and community service.
