Crippled By Polio, Moradabad Girl Mobilizes Villagers

This article tells the story of Mehrab Jahan, a 24-year old woman crippled in infancy by polio in the Moradabad district of India. She has become an active social mobiliser in the Ratanpur Kala area, encouraging and motivating acceptance of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) in those families who would normally refuse. According to the article, her journey to becoming one of the three Community Mobilisation Coordinators in the area was not an easy one. Mehrab had to overcome the physical hardships of her youth, act against the wishes of her family elders, and convince wary Social Mobilisation Network (SMNet) teams that she was able enough to pursue a career in contributing to the eradication of polio in India.

Today, Mehrab and her counterparts meticulously track the vaccination status of all of the households within their allotted areas during each vaccination round. She visits those families who refuse to administer the vaccine to their children, accompanied by a physician and a rations dealer, and explains to them the hardships she has faced as a result of contracting polio. This strategy has proven successful in converting almost all of the resistant families in the area and in building support and positive perceptions of India's polio eradication programme.