Wild poliovirus in southern KP: Ulema pledge support to polio eradication efforts

LAHORE: Most of Pakistan is polio-free but there is still wild poliovirus circulating in parts of the country, particularly in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As long as polio exists anywhere in Pakistan and Afghanistan, all children are at risk from polio.

This was said by Dr Wasim Ahmad, Additional Director Expanded Programme on Immunization during a conference jointly organized by Tanzeem Ittehad Ummat a religious body working for harmony among various schools of thought in coordination with Punjab Emergency Operations Centre here on Thursday.

He said national polio eradication campaign will start in Punjab from May 15. “I am of the view that if a simple flu cannot be cured with just one doze of medicine, how we can cure polio. More dozes of polio vaccine mean more immunity for children against the crippling disease,” observed the additional director.

Religious scholars play a crucial role in accelerating polio eradication and ensuring that more children are reached with vaccines. Ulema belonging to various schools of thought have hailed efforts of polio teams saying that the noble cause rendered by the teams is reflective of the true teachings of Islam.

Ulema belonging to various schools of thought participated in the conference and pledged support to polio eradication efforts.

Islamic scholars declared their support for accelerating polio eradication in Pakistan and called on all parents to vaccinate their children under the age of 5 during all polio vaccination campaigns. The call was made in a declaration issued by the Ulema (religious scholars) after the conference.

“We encourage all families to save their children from all the diseases that will affect their health and to use vaccine for prevention of such diseases. We declare that polio vaccine is allowed religiously and is fully in accordance with the rulings of Shariah,” the statement by the Ulema stated. The Punjab EOC supported the conference during which over 70 leading Ulema convened to discuss strategies to speed up polio eradication.

“Like other diseases [that] have been eradicated from Earth, we can also eradicate polio. We count on Islamic scholars to inform people and to do effective outreach to protect our children,” said Pir Ziaul Haq Naqshbandi from Tanzeem Ittehad Ummat.

“Effective outreach in communities plays a critical role in polio eradication. We all must be united to protect children from this crippling disease,” said Maulana Waheed Rokhari of the Jamiat Ahle Hadith.

Ameer Tanzeem Islami, Maulana Mushtaq Rabbani raised his concern over false information spreading in parts of Pakistan about the polio vaccine, causing some caregivers to refuse immunization for their children.

He requested the support of the media and other opinion shapers to assist in dispelling harmful myths around the polio vaccine which is safe and effective. In response to a query, Maulana Ramazan Sialvi, the Khateeb of Data Darbar, called for upholding the rights of children as envisaged in Islam.

“Islam has laid much emphasis on the rights of human beings. Our religion even lays emphasis on the rights of animals. Our children have the right to receive vaccination and live a healthy life. We should not deprive them of their rights,” said Maulana Sialvi.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023