Trekking Far And Wide To Eradicate Polio In Pakistan

Forbes

4 hours ago

A look at the dedicated health workers crossing Pakistan to reach 45 million children in one week with the lifesaving polio vaccine, with support from UNICEF and Rotary International.
A husband and wife health worker team ride camelback to deliver the polio vaccine to children on their route in Pakistan. The couple is part of a massive national campaign to vaccinate 45 million children under 5 against wild poliovirus.
Four decades ago, wild poliovirus paralyzed hundreds of children every day, with an estimated 350,000 cases in more than 125 countries. Today, polio is on the brink of eradication with just two endemic countries left: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The path to this remarkable public health milestone began in 1988 when UNICEF, Rotary International and other partners formed the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to spearhead a massive vaccination campaign that has decreased cases globally by over 99 percent.
GPEI, along with national government and community health partners, vaccinates 400 million children against polio every year. These campaigns prevent an estimated 650,000 cases of paralysis and save up to 60,000 children's lives each year.
This immersive video follows teams of vaccinators in Pakistan as they traverse the country, by any conveyance necessary — on foot, by motorbike and even camelback — to reach children living in the country's most remote areas. In less than one week, 45 million children under 5 will be visited, identified and vaccinated against polio.
Watch the video to see polio vaccinators in action
UNICEF and Rotary International are working together to create a polio-free world for children
Until polio transmission is eliminated in every country, all countries remain at risk. To fully eradicate polio, no child can be missed and there is no time to lose.
Ending polio will be a historic public health milestone, making polio the second infectious disease, after smallpox, to be certified eradicated. Because of the experience, support and partnership of UNICEF and countless Rotary members across the decades powering and driving forward millions of dedicated vaccinators, we are almost there.
Learn more about UNICEF and Rotary International's longstanding partnership.
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