Just a few years ago, polio persisted in only three countries as the number of victims steadily decreased. Pakistan was the key battleground with over 80% of all endemic cases. When the Taliban issued a ban against the polio vaccination program, Pakistan’s campaign was thrown into disarray. Families and healthcare workers find themselves in the crosshairs of politics and bloodshed as they attempt to protect their children from polio.
"Every Last Child" is the dramatic story of five people impacted by the current crisis: a medical specialist, a vaccinator, a vaccination skeptic, an adult polio victim, and a sick child. Will these everyday heroes succeed and end polio in our lifetime, or will another young generation be at risk?
Following the screening, panelists Elias Durry, MD (Emergency Advisor - Polio, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office), Mark A. Pallansch, PhD (Director, Division of Viral Disease Division, CDC), and Rebecca Martin, PhD, (Director of the Center for Global Health, CDC) will discuss progress made against polio, the importance of sustaining momentum to achieve eradication, and tactics for overcoming remaining challenges, including delivering vaccines to children in communities that are difficult for health workers to access.
ATLFS Executive Director Christopher Escobar will moderate the panel. Admission is free.