Afghanistan, a South-Asian country has been striving for years to vaccinate millions of Children against polio but the country is unsuccessful in its effort because of the heinous attacks on polio workers. Despite facing the threats and seeing the murders of polio workers in the country, the brave and strong women of Afghanistan have pledged to save the children from polio.
Brave women have pledged that they will resume their fights against polio which has affected many children in the country. The vaccination campaign which involves the door-to-door inoculation of polio drops is at risk after the murder of three female vaccinators.
On March 30, the three female vaccinators have lost their lives after they shot dead at two different locations by unknown gunmen in the eastern city of Jalalabad. The incident of March 30 is the first of its kind after 10 years as the country is striving to eradicate polio. According to UNICEF, Afghanistan and Pakistan are two countries in the world that are still polio-endemic states.
In 2020, Afghanistan has recorded 56 new cases of polio and this figure shows the highest number of cases since 2011 when the country has recorded 80 cases of polio. This illness has been eradicated from all countries in the world except Pakistan and Afghanistan.
A 21-year old vaccinator disclosed that she is not allowed to go outside and participate in the polio campaign by her parents but she went out with the fear that maybe she would not return. But she disclosed that she loves her job though it was a risky job in Afghanistan despite that, she wants to continue this job and will participate in the effort to eradicate polio.
Afghanistan has seen a surge in targeted killings. Not only the polio vaccinator’s lives are in danger but also the lives of journalists and many other people of different professions. Earlier, female journalists have also shot dead in the country. No one knows the exact perpetrators of this targeted killing.
The society of Afghanistan is conservative which has the fear that this polio eradication campaign is the trick of the western world. But the conservative society has no idea that they are destroying the future of their children.
