The dream of finally eradicating polio appears to be pushed back for another year. Officials were hoping that 2025 could be the year it finally recorded zero cases of polio, but already, it has had six documented. There are concerns foreign aid cuts under Donald Trump’s administration could delay it even further.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00When Sadia Suleimani was a young child, a day spent playing in the mud led to tragedy.
00:10I had a fever for 21 days. The doctor gave me an injection and my leg was affected.
00:18I was injected at night and in the morning my legs were not good. I couldn't even touch the floor.
00:24At five years old she contracted polio, an incurable virus which mainly affects kids and can cause paralysis.
00:32Sadia had to relearn to walk and needs crutches to get around.
00:37Now she's on the front line to prevent other children from contracting polio.
00:42I tell parents that refuse, you're committing an atrocity on your children.
00:49My parents and I think, had there been a vaccination campaign in my time, I would not have been helpless.
00:56Pakistan is one of only two countries where polio is yet to be eradicated.
01:02Some experts are calling for a rethink.
01:05Every child born should be registered. He should get all the vaccines before he's two years old.
01:14But efforts have been hindered by geography, public mistrust and security concerns.
01:20Polio is not just a problem here in Pakistan. The disease is still endemic in neighbouring Afghanistan
01:27and the porous border makes it difficult to keep cases contained.
01:31Senior officials at the WHO warn US funding cuts to foreign aid could have a devastating impact
01:38on Pakistan and Afghanistan's polio eradication programs.
01:42Global eradication efforts will lose $210 million this year.
01:47But officials in Pakistan aren't concerned.
01:50There is not much effect of this thing to our operational as we are doing already
01:59and we are committed and the government is committed.
02:03Despite some vaccine resistance in communities like hers, Sadia is hopeful soon Pakistan will be declared polio free.