H. E. Dr Faizullah Kakar, Advisor to the President on Health, Dr Najia Tariq, Deputy Minister of Public Health, Dr Taufiq Mashal, General Director Preventive Medicine, Dr Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-General for Polio and Dr Ahmed F. Shadoul, WHO Representative for Afghanistan, present the certificate to the family of Rafiq AhmadThe late Rafiq Ahmad was a permanent member of the polio team working in the Nad Ali district of Hilmand province, one of the most insecure areas in Afghanistan. As a member of the team, he bravely faced constant and high security risks to help protect Afghan children from poliomyelitis.

On 1 July 2012 at 1100am, Rafiq Ahmad lost his life to a roadside bomb while on duty. He left behind his wife, 2 sons and 7 daughters – the youngest only 6 months old. Since losing their lone breadwinner, the family has been struggling to make ends meet.

In recognition of his services, Dr Faizaullah Kakar, Advisor to the President on Health and Dr Najia Tariq, Deputy Minister of Public Health, awarded a certificate of honour to the family of Rafiq Ahmad. The certificate was accompanied by the sum of AFN 270 000, contributed by staff of the Ministry of Public Health, WHO and UNICEF, to meet the family’s immediate needs. The award ceremony took place at the opening of the second meeting of the Technical Advisory Group on Poliomyelitis Eradication (TAG) in Kabul.