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Polio Workers Protest as WHO Ends Their Jobs

The Union Council polio officers continued to protests outside the office of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday demanding an extension of their contracts that had expired on 28 February.

According to the details, 850 polio officers who had been conducting anti-polio drives for years while being employed by the WHO are now protesting after the representative of WHO in Pakistan, Dr. Palitha Mahipala, refused to give any guarantees for their reinstatements.


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In November 2020, the contracts of these workers were extended for three months after they had protested against the WHO’s refusal for extensions. The three-month extensions had expired on 28 February. and Dr. Mahipala has refused to extend their contracts any further.

The protesters contended that they had carried out campaigns against polio in difficult times while putting their lives at risk and tolerating degradation from parents refusing to get their children vaccinated, and instead of being appreciated for their services, their contracts had been terminated.


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Imdad Hussain Turi, a protestor from Parachinar, said, “Many officers sacrificed their lives for serving humanity. Despite all difficulties, we delivered our best in routine immunization, outreach vaccination sessions, measles campaigns, acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, polio vaccination monitoring, the area in charge training and social mobilization”.

He said that they had been hopeful that their contracts would be extended when Dr. Mahipala had called them to his office but he refused any extension, which is why the polio workers will continue with their protests until their demands are met.

“Not only we fought against polio but we supported, assisted, and facilitated the COVID-19 control team and played a vital role in creating awareness about the pandemic. We traced people who had come from other countries, helped them in isolating themselves, and followed up COVID-19 positive cases both at quarantine centers and in-home quarantine,” he stated.

Note that not a single case of polio has been reported in Pakistan this year.

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