Breaking Barriers with Compassion

In the tightly knit community of Gujro Zone B, Jhangabad and Gana Mandi, deep-rooted mistrust of vaccines ran high. Families, guided by generations of tradition and skepticism towards health programmes, often shut their doors on visiting vaccinators. Here, rumours of side effects and a preference for traditional remedies left countless children unprotected. 

Among those met with resistance was Sumaira Zulfiqar, a vaccinator from VITAL Pakistan Trust. Despite repeated attempts, she and her team were turned away time and again. But Sumaira refused to give up. Instead of insisting on immunisation, she chose to listen. 

She spent time visiting homes not as a health worker but as a friendly neighbour, attending community gatherings, engaging in conversation, and patiently hearing out concerns. She approached key influencers, like a local midwife and a religious leader, opening quiet dialogues and offering simple, respectful explanations about vaccines. Through real-life stories from nearby communities where immunized children thrived, she gently challenged long-held fears. 

The tide turned when a grieving mother who had lost her child to measles shared her regret. Her voice, combined with the midwife’s newfound support, sparked a shift in community sentiment. One family stepped forward, and soon, others followed. 

Within months, routine immunisation coverage rose from zero to 80%. The community not only accepted vaccines but embraced them. Some parents even became vocal advocates for immunisation. 

Sumaira’s quiet persistence proved that empathy and trust can break through even the most fortified barriers—offering not just protection but hope for a healthier future.