Two Drops for Mecca:
Mother of polio-affected girl opens doors to vaccination – and helps rid Nigeria of polio for good

Aisha may not be able to read, but she never forgets a name, or a child. Her own tragedy was too great.

Photos & Video: H. Vilain/UNICEF
Story: P. Khanna &
J. Pittenger/UNICEF

“Now When They Push Me I Just Go Faster”:
A Pakistani Madrassa teacher lives with polio – and works to help bring the tragic disease to an end

"I kneel before Allah. But I am unable to stand on my feet before any man.”


Video by UNICEF Pakistan

The Owl Approach: Night vaccination protects children of the DRC’s Kitawala religious group against polio

We whisper like thieves as we enter the Kadima Mission at night through the palms, their spikey shadows projected on the ground in the light of the moon.

The “Elephant King” of the Congo: Making a Powerful Ally in the Fight to End Polio

Part 2: A Trojan Horse Strategy
At the entrance to the Kadima Mission, you are greeted with branches of acacia flowers. White doves are freed into the air around you.

The “Elephant King” of the Congo: Making a Powerful Ally in the Fight to End Polio

Part 1: Gaining the Ear of an Elephant King
In the past, “PP2” – a charismatic pastor of the Kitawala Filadelphie Sect in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – counseled his religious followers to refuse vaccination against polio. Now he has begun to change his approach.