A Pain, A Purpose: How a Brother’s Suffering Drove One Man to Fight Polio

Nangarhar, Afghanistan - Ihsanullah, a 35-year-old resident of Zawa village in Khogyani district, begins the first day of the polio vaccination campaign with his usual resolve: to deliver the polio vaccine to every child in his assigned area so that not a single child falls prey to this crippling disease.

He leaves home at sunrise to join his colleagues and reach the vaccination site on time.

Ihsanullah, who has studied up to the intermediate level in health, has been working as a volunteer in polio vaccination campaigns for the past decade.

Motivated by a personal pain that drives his commitment to this struggle, Ihsanullah says: "Years ago, my younger brother, Hizbullah, fell ill with a high fever. At first, my parents thought it was just an ordinary fever, but a few days later, we took him to the hospital. The doctors said polio had paralyzed half of his body and that the disease had no cure."

He adds that after that, his brother never went to school again, never played, and never lived a joyful life like other children.

This incident not only deeply affected Ihsanullah - who was ten years old at the time - but also changed the course of his life.

He says it was that very pain that gave him the motivation to fight this devastating disease. Years later, when polio vaccination campaigns began in the area, he joined the effort - and he continues his work to this day.

Commitment and Tireless Struggle

Despite people's doubts, opposition, and even mistreatment, Ihsanullah has never abandoned his work.

“My goal is not just to carry out the campaign - I want to earn parents’ trust and enlighten their minds. I dream of an Afghanistan where no child falls victim to polio,” he says.

Difficult roads, heat, or cold do not matter to him. He has taken a lesson from his brother’s condition with polio, and that is what has become his inspiration in the fight against polio.

 © Polio Free Afghanistan | 2025

Ihsanullah, together with his colleague, during the polio vaccination campaign.

From Distrust to Trust

Throughout his long journey in the fight against polio, Ihsanullah has faced many obstacles. In the past, he experienced instability and life-threatening situations due to intense conflict. But now, thanks to improved security, he can deliver the vaccine to children in the most remote areas.

But the biggest obstacle remains the mindset of some people.

“One day, an elderly man stopped me,” he says. “He did not trust the polio vaccine and claimed it was part of an enemy plot. I told him my brother’s story and explained that if he had been vaccinated in childhood, he would not have become a burden on our family and society today.”

According to him, although the man remained largely unconvinced at first, he was eventually able to present scientific and logical arguments that persuaded him to vaccinate his children.

Ihsanullah believes it is the duty of every volunteer like him to help change harmful mindsets in the community and raise awareness that vaccination is the only way to protect children from polio; a disease that paralyzes and kills.

Today, thanks to his strong determination and consistent efforts, Ihsanullah is seen by the people of his community as an inspiring figure in the fight against polio.

The local mosque imam, Mawlawi Syed Habibullah, says, “Ihsanullah is a sincere and active young man. Before each round of the polio vaccination campaign, he meets with community elders and makes sure that no child is left unvaccinated.”

A local tribal elder, Noor Mohammad, also says that Ihsanullah and his team have made significant efforts to prevent polio in their area and continue to conduct their work to this day.

He calls on the public to stand united behind the volunteers in the fight for a polio-free Afghanistan.

© Polio Free Afghanistan | 2025

Ihsanullah marks a child’s finger after giving him the polio vaccine.

The Ongoing Fight and Hopes

Ihsanullah is not alone in dedicating his life to protecting children from polio. Across the country, in every village, there are hundreds of volunteers who, driven by compassion and a sense of social responsibility, have taken on the fight to prevent the spread of polio.

With sincere dedication, they deliver two drops of the polio vaccine to every child in order to free their country from the threat of polio.