When 23-year-old Sanila Marjan joined the polio communication workforce as a community mobiliser, she assumed that her role would be simply to inform parents about upcoming campaigns and ensure children were vaccinated when the teams arrived.
That assumption ended on her very first household visit.
“I still remember the questions I faced,” Sanila recalls. Women from the priority community challenged her presence, questioning why she worked outside her home, who accompanied her and whether it was appropriate for her to walk door to door. Many insisted a woman’s place was indoors.
The resistance did not come from women alone as conservative male elders often refused to engage with her. On one occasion an elderly man lectured her about what he believed that a woman’s role should be raising a family and staying inside the home, before turning her away.
She returned home in tears.
“But I never gave up,” Sanila says. “Instead, I worked harder to improve my communication skills.”
Those early encounters taught her that meaningful change could not be forced. It had to be built. She began engaging respected local figures, mosque, prayer leaders, neighbourhood committee members and community elders to open dialogue. She organised small community sessions, prepared clear answers to common concerns, and continued a patient, door-to-door engagement.
“Within a few months, the same community where I faced hostility began protecting me,” she says. “Their behaviour changed.”
Sanila works in a deeply patriarchal setting where decision making largely rests with men. Yet she says sustained engagement with mothers is essential. “Male colleagues often cannot access children inside households,” she explains. “I can account for every child in a house.”
Consistency and presence proved transformative. Six months into her role, Sanila has become a trusted voice in the community. Caregivers now invite her to help mediate family disputes, while parents seek her advice on household matters, even marriage proposals.
“Since I know every household and its residents, people trust me,” she says. “Just last week, I helped a couple with three children reconcile.” She advises polio teams to maintain professionalism at all times, staying informed about the polio situation, knocking respectfully, dressing appropriately, communicating clearly, and ensuring vaccine carriers remain clean and cold.
“Reaching and vaccinating every child is my responsibility,” she says. “I also make sure family disputes don’t escalate to the point where women leave for their parents’ homes because that leads to missed children.”
Punjab’s polio data underscores why such grassroots efforts remain critical. The province reported one confirmed case of Wild Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2025, showing the virus remains a persistent threat despite significant progress.
In 2024, WPV1 was detected in 17 of Punjab’s 36 districts – 16 through environmental surveillance and one human case in Chakwal. By December 2025, poliovirus had been detected in 16 districts, including one human case in Mandi Bahauddin and 15 districts with positive environmental samples.Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneAdnan LodhiRead More