Global Health Film Classics: Every Last Child | Global Health Film

Every Last Child (2014) 

Directed by Tom Roberts, 85 mins

Sunday 25 October 2020 19:00 GMT plus panel discussion

Every Last Child is the dramatic story of five people impacted by polio in Pakistan. Taking place on the front line of the fight against the disease, it is a story of sacrifice, fearless determination and sorrow in the face of  mistrust, cynicism and violence. 

Just a few years ago, polio persisted in only three countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria - and the number of victims was steadily decreasing. Pakistan was the key battleground with over 80% of all endemic cases. However, when the Pakistan Taliban issued a ban against the polio vaccination program, and incited fatal attacks against vaccinators, Pakistan’s campaign was thrown into disarray, and families and healthcare workers found themselves in the cross hairs of politics and bloodshed as they attempted to protect their children from polio. 

Through the vivid stories of its five subjects - a medical specialist, a vaccinator, a vaccination skeptic, an adult polio victim and a sick child - we are drawn in to the desperate search for a solution to this devastating disease. Will these everyday heroes succeed and end polio in our lifetime, or will another young generation be at risk?

Six years after Every Last Child was released, Nigeria is polio-free and Pakistan is struggling with a recent surge in cases.

The panel discussion after the screening was moderated by former news anchor, ITN Health and Science Correspondent and BBC Tomorrow’s World presenter, Anya Sitaram. Anya was joined by Every Last Child director, Tom Roberts, Every Last Child protagonist and polio warrior Dr Elias Durry, Director of The Vaccine Confidence Project Professor Heidi Larson, and epidemiologist Dr Kathleen O'Reilly

Here's the replay:

Also check out the additional resources we have prepared for you at the bottom of this page.


Every Last Child first featured at the 2015 Global Health Film Festival


A limited number of tickets are available: book now to join us on Sunday 25 October; we will close registration at 5pm on Sunday 25 October and will send you a link to the event by 6pm, an hour before the screening starts.

Registration is free of charge; each screening costs just under £1,000 for us to organise. We are grateful for any donation you are able to make to help cover our costs; you can make a donation securely using this link

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Every Last Child: additional resources

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Global Health Film is registered in England and Wales under charity number 1179829 and company number 10436509. Registered address: 10 Queen Street Place, London, EC4R 1BE
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