Breaking barriers: Dr. Kubra’s role in Afghanistan’s polio fight

Children wait for polio vaccinations at Afghanistan's North Terminal camp in Kabul Province, as part of a campaign to eradicate polio. Photo: OCHA/Sayed Habib Bidell

By Aria Abawi

In 2003, Dr. Amina Kubra* made history as the first Afghan woman to serve as a Provincial Officer for a polio programme in Afghanistan’s north-east region. Travelling to far-flung districts and villages in Kunduz Province, she broke new ground not just for herself but for countless others. Since March 2003, Dr. Kubra has supported more than 10,000 women and children across Afghanistan, one of the world’s last two countries, alongside Pakistan, where polio is endemic.

She began her journey in medicine at Kabul Medical University. In 1991, after completing her medical studies, Dr. Kubra left Afghanistan to explore other opportunities. She returned in 2003 to take up a pilot position with the UN, in an anti-polio drive.

Today Dr. Kubra’s work is vital in the fight against polio. She oversees acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, which is considered the gold standard for detecting polio cases. This includes finding and reporting children with AFP, transporting stool samples for analysis, and isolating, identifying and mapping the polio virus in the laboratory to determine the origin of the virus strain. She also monitors AFP cases in hospitals and clinics and oversees immunization day campaigns in various parts of Kabul city.

Three women administer polio drops to a small child at the entrance of a building in Kabul Province, Afghanistan, as part of a polio eradication campaign.

Health officials visit a home in Afghanistan’s Kabul Province during a campaign supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) to protect children against polio. Photo: WHO

Throughout her career, Dr. Kubra has overcome numerous challenges, one being the lack of women workers in Afghanistan’s polio eradication programme. As a pioneer, she broke down cultural barriers and stereotypes, forging pathways for women to participate in a traditionally male-dominated sector and advocating for gender inclusivity amid societal resistance.

Another major challenge was the lack of access and communication infrastructure. Clinics often struggled to report AFP cases and reach affected children due to technological constraints, including limited mobile phone and Internet services.

However, things changed significantly over the years. Dr. Kubra explained: "My proudest achievement is increasing the number of women staff in my team and in the Central Region from one to almost 4,500. These women take on various roles, such as volunteers, cluster supervisors, district coordinators, and intra-campaign and post-campaign monitors. They not only serve the community but also support themselves and their families, with many being the sole breadwinner for their household."

The takeover by the de facto authorities in August 2021 brought new obstacles. For months, health workers like Dr. Kubra had limited access to their places of work. But following a verbal exemption granted early in the political transition, they resumed their work with no restrictions.

This exemption was crucial, especially in conservative areas where men were denied entry to vaccinate children, but women were permitted to enter homes and administer vaccinations.

“I am motivated by the strides we have made,” she beamed. “In the past two decades, we have managed to contain polio cases in the country, with no reported cases in the Central Region. Looking forward, I hope to see more women working in this field and the eradication of polio across Afghanistan.”

Dr. Kubra encourages women to love what they do: “This includes housewives in the community, most of whom are illiterate but engage in our awareness-raising programmes. They are actively contributing to society, regardless of their age or status.”

*Name has been changed.