Resistance To Polio Administration Falls 35% In KP

News Desk

Peshawar: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded a significant 35 percent reduction in anti-polio drop refusal cases in families during the vaccination carried out in the month of June.

According to the Emergency Operation Centre Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ((EOCKP), a drop of 25 percent was recorded among children left deprived of the anti-polio drops in the province.

KP reported 20 polio attack instances last year; however, this year there was only one case, a considerable decrease from the previous year’s 20 occurrences, EOC reported.

When many families were hesitant to give their children anti-polio drops due to the false information being spread against the vaccination, the anti-polio campaign garnered the strong support of Ulema for the first time in 2016.

“Thousands of people defied vaccination on different misconceptions, most of them argue that drugs disallowed in Islam before occurrence of a diseases but we convince them in light of teachings of the Holy Quran and edict issued by famous Islamic intuitions in 43 countries,” stated Darul Uloom Hayatabad Principal Maulana Raees Khan Toru.

The Centre claimed that the effectiveness of the anti-polio vaccination was greatly aided by the assistance of the ulemas. It further stated that even in certain instances, parents who had previously refused to give their kids anti-polio shots suddenly did so.

Maulana Raees Khan added that earlier some people were refusing anti-polio drops to their children only due to misperceptions; however, when we persuaded them, they are now administering anti-polio drops to their children.

The Provincial Scholars Task Force on Polio led by Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani is working in all districts to ensure that children get polio drops to prevent disabilities, Toru further said.

Maulana Raees added that 184 religious leaders worked for the force in Peshawar, the hotspot of the virus and home to “chronic” vaccination refusals.