A Story of Health: End Polio Now

"A Story of Health: End Polio Now" is a "speaking book" that aims to facilitate community workers in Pakistan to engage better with women, children, and fathers to highlight the benefits of a clean environment as well as to ensure that the masses are aware of the importance of vaccines and their role in preventing polio. Created by Rotary International and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) as the technical partners, the educational tool starts with the story of a child who dies from polio and a neighbour boy's quest to learn more about this illness and how to protect his siblings and village. It has been designed to be a part of lady health worker (LHW) kits so that these workers can raise community awareness about issues related to child care, health, and hygiene. The audio is in Urdu, the national language, and Pushto, the regional language of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, known to have the highest number of refusals and considered a polio high-risk area.

The book is available in English (see above), Urdu, and Pushto.

The book was officially launched on World Polio Day (October 24) 2013 at a ceremony involving the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture. In attendance were schoolchildren, UNICEF and Rotary personnel, and guests like the Senior Minister for Education, Sindh Mr. Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who stressed the need for more of this type of education as key in polio eradication and similarly to reduce illiteracy. The National Chair, Aziz Memon, Polio Plus Committee, discussed the global collaboration effort among partners throughout the development and production of the speaking book. First pioneered by a South Carolina, United States (US) Rotarian, it was then sponsored by Rotary International, designed in South Africa, written, illustrated, and voiced over in Pakistan, and finally printed in China. Following the speeches, the National Chair officially launched the book and presented it to Dr. Altaf Bosan, the National Technical Focal Person, Prime Ministers Polio Monitoring & Coordination Cell, who then read a few pages from "A Story of Health" to "the children huddled around him in the garden, listening attentively. All of the children from the local school were given polio mobilization items such as pencils, badges, plastic mugs, and books."

Click here to read a photo essay about Dr. Jewat Sunder, who uses the "speaking book" in meeting with mothers and children in Pakistan to educate them with the message "two drops, every time, every child". According to Speaking Books, "[t]he children of Pakistan call this the 'Magic Book' because it talks to them in their own languages, Urdu and Pashto."