Mr Ramnaresh Mahto, 70, has one mission in life—to protect children from polio, which left him dependent on a hand-operated tricycle for mobility for as long as he can remember. “There’s a vaccine that protects children, I do what I can to ensure it reaches each one of them,” said Mr Mahto, who was infected with polio as a child.
He now assists his daughter Ms Ranju Devi, who is a voluntary vaccinator in the village, by fetching vials of the bivalent OPV (bOPV) from a sub-depot 4-km away from his home for her. Ms Devi then begins her house visits to administer OPV doses to children below 5-years in Athari village in Runnisaidpur block of Sitamarhi district, Bihar.
“I feel highly privileged to support my daughter’s mission to save children from polio and disability,” said Mr Mahto.
Ms Devi joined the team of vaccinators in 2018 at the request of the block health department, when anganwadi workers in pulse polio teams went on strike. “The biggest challenge for me is collecting vaccines every morning from sub-depot and submitting reports and unused vaccines in the evening. When my father volunteered to help me in this mission, I readily agreed. It makes my job easier,” she said.
Her commitment to vaccinating all children is also driven by personal tragedy— she lost her young son to cancer and grew up watching her father’s restricted mobility as a result of polio. “If I can help it, no child will suffer from a disease that can be prevented,” said Devi, who is referred to as ‘Pulse Polio Vaccinator’ in her village.
Thousands of vaccination volunteers such as Ms Devi have supported the state government to vaccinate children against polio on sub-national immunisation days (SNIDs) in Bihar. In Runnisaidpur block, 56,569 children were vaccinated against polio between 27 June and 4 July. Of these, Ms Devi vaccinated 470 children between 27 June and 1 July 2021.
The risk of getting infected with COVID-19 doesn’t deter the father and daughter, who continue to conduct door-to-door visits to vaccinate children under five years of age to strengthen primary health care and provide health for all.
