In a news conference held Tuesday at the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in Balochistan’s capital, it was revealed that more than 20,000 parents in the province, on average, refuse polio drops for their children below the age of five. “The number of chronic refusals is more than 4,000,” said Sayed Saifur Rehman, coordinator of EOC. “Religious leaders and clerics will play their part in persuading parents to administer polio drops to their children,” said Rehman, while talking about preparations to ensure success of the upcoming anti-polio drive in the province.The news conference was attended by clerics and other religious leaders. Senior clerics Ataur Rehman and Maulana Anwarul Haq Haqqani have already assured complete support for the upcoming anti-polio drive in September. Vaccination against polio is no exception. In fact, religious sentiment has been especially exploited on this issue by extremists to derail the anti-polio effort, render the work of vaccinators exceedingly dangerous and even justify the murder of around 70 polio workers and members of their security detail since 2012. Religious leaders can play a vital role to change the narrative and counter those peddling disinformation. However, the endeavour must be sustained and relentless enough to develop critical mass.
In 2013, hard-line cleric Maulana Samiul Haq issued a fatwa urging parents to have their children vaccinated against polio; he later appeared in a photo-op with PTI chief Imran Khan who administered anti-polio drops to his grandson. Aside from dramatic visuals, such one-stop, flash-in-the-pan efforts achieve little of substance. Pakistan’s clergy could look to the stunning success in polio eradication by India where ulema committees — including representatives of various Muslim sects as well as a doctor — were formed to address parental reservations regarding vaccination, reportedly found most often among Muslim communities. The strategy is often cited as having played a definitive role in India’s campaign.
pk.shafaqna.com
