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Roberts got to Pakistan in early fall of 2013. There were problems with his papers, so he had to repeatedly leave and return to keep his visa valid. He relied on ace Pakistani cameraman Ali Zaidi, formerly with the BBC, to do the filming, most of which was done in February and March of this year. Roberts, Zaidi and the rest of the crew had to keep a low profile — vaccinators were getting killed.

When Roberts started talking to Pakistanis, his "Why bother?" turned into a film about a whole new approach to vaccination.

Before his eyes, desperate local health officials, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and others were realizing that ramping up the door-to-door polio vaccination program would never work. There was just too much fear and opposition. The program needed rebranding as something homegrown and broadly helpful.

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Led by the World Health Organization, and promoted by a powerful member of the political opposition, health officials came up with a new idea — "Justice for Health."

The goal was still "every last child," but the method was different.

No more 3 or 4 days of knocking on doors and begging parents to let vaccinators give their children the polio drops. Instead, by combining already existing programs, Justice for Health provided not just the polio vaccine but a "sanitation bucket" containing water purifying pills, bars of soap and clean towels. Women (because men aren't allowed entry into Pakistan homes unless they're part of the family) provided general health information, and vouchers for other, popular, vaccines, such as measles and diphtheria. Justice for Health was a health campaign, not a polio campaign. And each vaccination round lasted just one day, so opponents didn't have time to mobilize.

Roberts and his crew were able to document the tense planning meetings, the press conferences, the dramatic moment as the planners got a phone call with details of shootings in another province.

There's a shot of Pakistani soldiers suiting up in riot gear, getting ready to go out and protect vaccinators. The WHO's Elias Durry says, "This is not supposed to be a war zone." And maybe it has stopped. No one was killed in the first Justice for Health campaign in Karachi and Peshawar in early 2014.

Hundreds of thousands of children were vaccinated between February and the end of April. The polio wildfire was stifled, at least temporarily. Where polio virus once appeared in rivers and streams around Peshawar, none could be found.

The key to any health project is sustainability, and Roberts has his worries. The annals of public health are filled with projects that tested well but never got scaled up. "The question is, will it continue?" Roberts asks. The program is being promoted and supported by the political opposition — if the party loses the next election, there's no telling what will happen to the campaign. Still, a planner who doesn't want to be named says yes, Justice for Health will be back, and soon — possibly in the next few weeks.

The film, meanwhile, with its drama and intense you-are-there feel, is headed toward film festivals, and eventually, its producers hope, to public television.

Every Last child

polio

Pakistan