The 20-year journey of M. Karim Dilsooz in the fight against polio
Rahmatullah Marjankhil
Ghazni, Afghanistan – Mohammad Karim Dilsooz, a 55-year-old resident of Ghazni province’s Qarabagh district, has been working in the polio eradication program for the past 20 years.
He, having studied up to the semi-high school level, began his work as a volunteer in the polio eradication program and now leads a cluster in which five teams operate.
Today is the second day of the polio vaccination campaign, Mohammad Karim Dilsooz arrived at his cluster center on a motorcycle before the other volunteers. Quickly, he went to the mosque and arranged the vaccines and other necessary items in the boxes.
Dilsooz, with a smile, stated that he performs his job with great passion and dedication.
He added, “Years ago, I read a newspaper story about a polio-affected child, which depicted the pain and suffering of his life. This story left a profound impression on me, and on that same day, I made a decision to fight against polio and save the country’s children from this deadly and paralyzing disease.”
Mohammad Karim Dilsooz, a 55-year-old resident of Ghazni province’s Qarabagh district, has been working in the polio eradication program for the past 20 years © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/Rahmatullah Marjankhil
According to him, it has been 20 years since that day, and he has remained determined and committed to working in this field, achieving numerous accomplishments along the way.
Dilsooz added, “For 10 years, I went from house to house carrying a vaccine box on my shoulder in all kinds of conditions. I administered the polio vaccine to every child. Eventually, I became the leader of the cluster, which includes 868 families. Fortunately, we do not have any family in our area of responsibility who do not vaccinate their children.”
According to him, treating the people well and engaging in conversations with them about the polio vaccine has resulted in full cooperation from the residents with the polio volunteers. Now, they administer vaccinations to all their children under the age of 5.
He considers this an achievement and states that people’s awareness has increased compared to the past. Now, many individuals understand the dangers of polio and the benefits of vaccination.
Dilsooz emphasized that vaccination is the only way to safeguard children from polio.
Dilsooz added, “For 10 years, I went from house to house carrying a vaccine box on my shoulder in all kinds of conditions. I administered the polio vaccine to every child. Eventually, I became the leader of the cluster, which includes 868 families. Fortunately, we do not have any family in our area of responsibility who do not vaccinate their children.” © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/ Rahmatullah Marjankhil
Residents of Qarabagh district praise Muhammad Karim Dilsooz for his unwavering efforts in the fight against polio, stating that they are pleased with his dedication and hard work.
Ismatullah, a 31-year-old resident of Khonyano village in this district, attests that Dilsooz has been tirelessly administering polio vaccinations to hundreds and thousands of children in the area for years.
He added that with the assistance of five teams under the polio vaccination campaign, Dilsooz was able to cover more than Eight hundred families in the cluster.
Alongside the area’s residents, volunteers also express their satisfaction with Dilsooz’s efforts, attributing the increased understanding of vaccination’s importance and the willingness of family elders to vaccinate their children to his hard work and dedication.
Sher Khan, a 36-year-old volunteer who has worked alongside Dr. Mohammad Karim Dilsooz for three years, praises his efforts, stating that as the leader of the regional cluster, Dilsooz maintains strong relationships with the community. He approaches people with sincerity, educating them about the dangers of polio and emphasizing the benefits of vaccination.
He calls upon the people to unite against polio, working together to ensure that this disease is eradicated from Afghanistan once and for all.
