Lifesaving Women: Aatifa Adeb’s Efforts to Eradicate Polio in Farah
Marzia Frotan
Farah, Afghanistan – Twenty-six-year-old Aatifa Adeb has been working as a polio vaccination coordinator in Farah city for the past two years. With a background in midwifery, she leads a team of 12 female vaccinators whose mission is to vaccinate children under five in the third district of Farah city.
In the scorching 40-degree Celsius heat, Aatifa and her team go door-to-door to vaccinate children. She carries a large notebook listing the names of eligible children in her area. Aatifa knows every child by face, calling each one by name when vaccinating them. She is proud that there have been no reported cases of polio in Farah for the past three years.
Aatifa says, “We have worked diligently in every polio vaccination campaign to ensure that no child is left without vaccination. The result of these efforts is that no positive polio cases have been recorded in Farah in recent years.” She considers this a significant achievement for herself and her team.
Aatifa says, “We have worked diligently in every polio vaccination campaign to ensure that no child is left without vaccination. The result of these efforts is that no positive polio cases have been recorded in Farah in recent years.” She considers this a significant achievement for herself and her team. © Polio-free Afghanistan/2024/ Marzia Frotan
Aatifa Adeb is also the mother of a three-year-old daughter. In every polio vaccination campaign, she vaccinates her daughter to protect her from the disease.
She states, “Every child’s life is as important to me as my own child’s. At the end of each campaign, once all children are vaccinated, I vaccinate my daughter.”
She adds, “All children’s lives are precious, just like my daughter’s. I have a maternal feeling for all of them. I won’t allow even one child to miss vaccination.”
According to Aatifa, awareness about the polio vaccine has increased, and all families are eager to vaccinate their children. She adds, “When we go to houses for vaccination, parents willingly vaccinate their children. In our area of responsibility, no family refuses vaccination.”
She adds, “All children’s lives are precious, just like my daughter’s. I have a maternal feeling for all of them. I won’t allow even one child to miss vaccination.” © Polio-free Afghanistan/2024/ Marzia Frotan
Efforts to Protect Children’s Lives
22-year-old Parisa Fitrat, a vaccinator in Farah city, is a member of Aatifa Adeb’s team. She accompanies Aatifa in every polio vaccination campaign and seeks advice from her to improve her work.
Fitrat says, “In every polio vaccination campaign, Aatifa insists that no child should be left unvaccinated. She always encourages us to perform our duties correctly. She is very serious about her work and doesn’t allow even one child to be deprived of vaccination.”
Fitrat adds, “My family initially didn’t allow me to work as a vaccinator, but Aatifa Adeb convinced them to let me join the polio vaccination campaign. She has always supported us girls.”
Parisa Fitrat emphasizes, “The lives of children are very important to me and my team members, which is why no child in our area of responsibility misses vaccination.”
Community Support for Female Vaccinators
Mahmood Shah, a 32-year-old resident of Farah city and father of two children under five the age of five, is pleased that female vaccinators visit his home during every campaign and vaccinates both of his children.
He says, “Despite numerous social restrictions and challenges, female vaccinators come to our homes and strive to safeguard children from polio. If I am not at home, my wife takes the children to the vaccinators in order to vaccinate them. If the vaccinators were men, my wife would never have taken the children out to them, and they might have missed the vaccination.”
He adds, “We support the activities of female vaccinators. They have been able to easily enter homes and vaccinate children. I urge people to support female vaccinators to eradicate polio from our country once and for all.”
Farah province, located in the west of the country, is one of the regions that has remained free from polio cases and environmental samples to date.
