Polio vaccination: Not a single case of rejection in Swat
382,000 children in the valley under five years of age will be inoculated.
SWAT:
Not a single case of parents stopping polio vaccination team from administering anti-polio drops has been reported in Swat this year. This is in stark contrast to 13,000 refusals just three years back, according to President Itihadul Madaris Sadiq Ahmad.
Moreover, a three-day polio inoculation campaign will start from October 24 in which an estimated 382,000 children in the valley under five years of age will be inoculated. This was announced on Tuesday at a joint press conference of Ithihadul Madaris and National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF) in the Swat Press Club.
“A total of 1,028 teams including District Health Team and Campaign Support Persons will conduct the campaign,” said Afreen Khan, NRDF coordinator.
During the militancy, the Taliban, led by Mullah Fazallulah, had openly denounced polio vaccination, terming it as anti-Sharia. But after peace was restored to the valley, campaigns are being carried out successfully, according to official sources.
Ittihadul Madaris Member Maulana Mian Noor Badshah said at the press conference that all religious scholars in Swat are agreed on the need for polio vaccination.
“Negative propaganda was broadcast on the radio against polio but now we are happy that the Ulema (scholars) have dispelled the misperception,” Badshah said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2011.
Not a single case of parents stopping polio vaccination team from administering anti-polio drops has been reported in Swat this year. This is in stark contrast to 13,000 refusals just three years back, according to President Itihadul Madaris Sadiq Ahmad.
Moreover, a three-day polio inoculation campaign will start from October 24 in which an estimated 382,000 children in the valley under five years of age will be inoculated. This was announced on Tuesday at a joint press conference of Ithihadul Madaris and National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF) in the Swat Press Club.
“A total of 1,028 teams including District Health Team and Campaign Support Persons will conduct the campaign,” said Afreen Khan, NRDF coordinator.
During the militancy, the Taliban, led by Mullah Fazallulah, had openly denounced polio vaccination, terming it as anti-Sharia. But after peace was restored to the valley, campaigns are being carried out successfully, according to official sources.
Ittihadul Madaris Member Maulana Mian Noor Badshah said at the press conference that all religious scholars in Swat are agreed on the need for polio vaccination.
“Negative propaganda was broadcast on the radio against polio but now we are happy that the Ulema (scholars) have dispelled the misperception,” Badshah said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2011.