A Father’s Regret Fuels Fight Against Polio Myths

Fakhar-e-Alam

Peshawar: As the sun sinks behind the snow-capped Koh-e-Sufaid mountains, 45-year-old Sajjad Ahmad wheels his 12-year-old daughter to the edge of a dusty playground in Dheri Ishaq village of Nowshera district.

Children chase a worn-out football near the banks of the River Kabul, their laughter echoing through the evening air as parents look on.

Among them sits Kashmala Bibi, her arms stretched forward, eyes following the ball with quiet determination. Sometimes, when the ball rolls close, she leans forward to join the game, loses her balance and slips from her wheelchair. Each time, her father rushes to lift her back up.

“At just two years old, Kashmala’s life changed forever—and so did ours,” Sajjad says, his voice trembling. “It started with fever and pain in her limbs. Within days, she couldn’t stand. Doctors told us it was polio. Both her legs stopped working. It was permanent.”

He pauses, tightening his grip on the wheelchair handles. “We didn’t vaccinate her,” he admits softly. “We believed the rumours—the lies about the polio vaccine. That guilt follows me every single day.”

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/a-sons-heartfelt-christmas-appeal-for-his-fathers-recovery/

Despite her physical limitations, Kashmala’s spirit remains unbroken. But for her father, every fall is a reminder of a mistake that cannot be undone. “When she falls,” Sajjad says, eyes moist, “it feels like my heart falls with her.”

Kashmala’s story is not an isolated tragedy. It reflects the devastating impact of misinformation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one of the world’s last remaining reservoirs of poliovirus.

According to the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) KP, a new polio case was recently confirmed in Torghar district, where a 12-month-old boy tested positive for wild poliovirus type-1 (WPV1). Pakistan reported 31 polio cases in 2025 as of January 13, 2026, including 19 from KP alone—figures health experts describe as deeply alarming.

“Polio is a highly contagious and irreversible disease, and vaccination is the only protection,” said Dr Riaz Malik, head of the paediatrics department at Government Pabbi Hospital. “It can silently attack and permanently destroy a child’s future within days.”

He stressed that the oral polio vaccine (OPV) is safe and lifesaving. “Vaccines prevent up to three million deaths globally every year. Imagine how many Kashmalas we could save if misinformation didn’t stand in the way.”

Health officials say rumours and mistrust, particularly in underdeveloped and low-literacy areas of KP, continue to fuel vaccine refusal. In Kashmala’s case, that refusal cost her a childhood and left her father with lifelong remorse.

“I talk to parents now,” Sajjad says. “I tell them my story. I beg them not to make the same mistake. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”

Polio remains a global concern. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where the virus is still endemic. In 2024 alone, 73 children worldwide were paralysed by polio, a sharp increase from just six cases in 2023. Environmental surveillance in Pakistan detected poliovirus in 44 sewage samples last September, indicating continued circulation.

Yet health authorities insist there is still hope.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/when-water-turns-into-poison/

The first polio immunisation campaign of 2026 has been launched in KP, targeting around 6.5 million children under the age of five across all 38 districts. Provincial Health Minister Khaleeq ur Rehman inaugurated the campaign in Peshawar by administering polio drops to children at the Police Services Hospital.

Senior officials from EOC KP, UNICEF, WHO and partner organisations attended the launch, reaffirming their commitment to eradication.

“Special measures have been taken to enhance vaccination coverage across the province,” Khaleeq ur Rehman said, praising the efforts of Chief Secretary KP Shahab Ali Shah to ensure no area is left uncovered.

EOC KP Coordinator Shafiullah Khan said vaccination teams remain on standby in snow-bound areas such as Upper Chitral, Upper Dir and parts of Malakand. “Campaigns will resume as soon as weather conditions permit,” he added.

He also confirmed that polio teams have been deployed at registration points in areas experiencing seasonal migration or security-related displacement to ensure no child is missed.

Taking a firm stance against vaccine refusal, the health minister warned of strict action against parents—particularly government employees—who refuse to vaccinate their children, including disciplinary measures.

He urged the media to play its role in dispelling myths and raising awareness, warning that failure to vaccinate endangers not just individual families but future generations.

As dusk settles over Dheri Ishaq, Kashmala watches the final moments of the game before Sajjad turns her wheelchair toward home, carrying a burden heavier than his years.

“If my story can save even one child,” he says quietly, “then maybe my regret will mean something.”