Anti-polio drive: Conservative beliefs put lives of children at risk

Up to 84 families in Multan consider immunisation campaign unholy.

MULTAN:

As many as 84 families consider the anti-polio campaign in Multan district of Punjab unholy and an attack on Islam. Health officials estimate that the number of children among the families total almost 400.

Surprisingly, the areas are mostly urban regions and are affected by religious clerics and parties.

Sajida, a lady health worker, told The Express Tribune that the families considered “us propagating the western agenda through these vaccinations and these polio vaccinations are highly injurious to the health of their children. Our teams have tried best to convince these families (about the benefits of vaccination).”

Almost 1 million children were vaccinated against the virus in Multan district in the anti-polio drive from January 14 to January 17.

Executive District Officer Health Multan, Dr Iftikhar Qureshi said that the situation has been analysed to approach the families. He said that the district coordination officer (DCO) of Multan was informed about the situation because “we are not allowed to take any action against them.”



“The proper way to handle these people will be to teach them [about the benefits of the vaccination] in their language and traditions. We will put all our resources to convince these families through educational tactics and will be successfully told by DCO Multan.” According to Section 144 of the Punjab government, it is compulsory by any means for all children to be vaccinated. No child will be missed in the anti-polio campaign under any excuse if he or she is residing in Punjab. The last resort to tackle families who refuse is the use of force by police who would accompany the polio teams.

DCO Multan, Nasim Sadiq, in coordination with health officials has constituted teams comprising religious clerics, the ulema of the sects of the concerned vicinities and doctors. Their target is to convince the 84 families of the need for their children to be immunised.

Dr Qureshi added that in the last campaign, 350 families had refused teams from immunising their children. But more than 200 families were convinced after a long campaign while others who refused left Multan, he said.

However, the list of the families has been kept confidential. Dr Qureshi and Sadiq were certain about their mission to change the families’ minds. “We want a polio free province as aimed by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif,” Sadiq said.

Schoolteachers in the region and officials of the district administration will also accompany the immunisation teams.

Sources in the health department of Multan told The Express Tribune that the basic reason why the families considered the campaign unholy was because of religious teachings, which teach them that the vaccinations make their children impotent and disabled.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2013.