From left: Rajabu Vambise, 27, polio survivor and UNICEF-supported community worker, with a vaccinator during a polio vaccination campaign in Kindu, Maniema province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on March 30, 2024.
Immunization

DRC Polio Survivor Spreads the Word: Vaccines Work

Paralyzed as a child by polio, Rajabu Vampise is taking his message to the streets, urging parents to vaccinate their children.

Building trust in vaccines safeguards children's health and well-being

Rajabu Vampise was a happy, healthy 2-year-old when he contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. His parents were opposed to vaccination, so he was not protected from the deadly viral disease. 

Now 27, he works as a UNICEF-supported community mobilizer in Maniema province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, raising awareness about the power of vaccines. He uses a hand-powered bike to get around in his community, encouraging mothers and fathers to vaccinate their children. Watch the video

"Polio is a very dangerous disease," Vampise says. "I just want to raise parents' awareness; they should not refuse to have their children vaccinated. If I'd been vaccinated, I wouldn't be in this state." 

Rajabu Vambise (second from left), polio survivor and UNICEF-supported community worker, talks to a family in his neighborhood about vaccinating children against polio in Kindu, Maniema province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on March 27, 2024.
Rajabu Vambise (second from left), polio survivor and UNICEF-supported community worker, talks to a family in his neighborhood about the importance of vaccinating children against polio in Kindu, Maniema province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on March 27, 2024. © UNICEF/UNI550128/Mulala

UNICEF and partners vaccinate over 400 million children against polio every year

Thanks to dedicated community workers like Vampise, polio has been nearly eradicated in many parts of the world. To eliminate polio completely, every child in every household must be vaccinated.  

Led by national governments and supported by six core partners —  UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance — the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) vaccinates over 400 million children against polio each year. 

Help UNICEF deliver lifesaving vaccines to protect children from polio. Donate today. 

 

TOP PHOTO: Seated on his hand-powered bike, Rajabu Vambise, a polio survivor and UNICEF-supported community worker, visits families with a colleague during a polio vaccination campaign in Kindu, Maniema province, Democratic Republic of the Congo on March 30, 2024. © UNICEF/UNI550112/Mulala. Video edited by Tong Su for UNICEF USA

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