Efforts by the government of Pakistan, the World Health Organization and UNICEF have resulted in a break through which might go a long way for polio eradication not only in Pakistan but the rest of the world as well. Jamiatur Rasheed, also known as Kulya-tush-Shariah, is an Islamic institution situated in UC-4 Gadap, Karachi, a neighborhood which is one of the largest reservoirs of the polio virus in the world and responsible for the spread of the virus both in Pakistan and abroad. Previously because of hostility from the community, misconceptions and lack of security, it was extremely difficult for vaccinators to enter this area, let alone convert refusals. However all this is changing fast.
Jamiatur Rasheed is madrassa that holds a lot of influence over those residing in UC-4 and is well known both in Pakistan and abroad. Their objective is to disseminate Islamic education among university-graduates and equip them with the needed ability to serve in different segments of life such as education, economics, journalism, media and healthcare.
Considering its popularity, having this Madrassa on board in favor of vaccination is a key development for the polio program not only in UC-4 Gadap but also in the rest of Pakistan as the religious clerics associated with the institution have significant influence across the country.
To put its significance into context, it is a cleric from this very Madrassa, Mufti Abu Laba, who had written articles on polio eradication being a western conspiracy and dedicated a whole chapter in his book “Dajal” on how the polio vaccine is detrimental for children. Be it propaganda or genuine misconception, a large amount of people from the Dioband sect were heavily influenced by his narrative.
As a result it was extremely difficult for vaccinators to go about their job and convert refusals in this area. Some 3000 children were being missed because of lack of access while there were numerous silent refusals which teams were not able to record because of fear of retaliation. The area also had around 1000 recorded refusals.
So how was and is this being addressed
In June 2014 the Government of Pakistan, UNICEF and WHO held an Ulema conference in Islamabad in which leading Islamic scholars from Pakistan and abroad were invited along with those clerics who had misconceptions about the polio vaccine. The conference specifically engaged Dioband groups that were against polio eradication and this included a team from Jamiatur Rasheed led by Mufti Adnan Kakakhel. During the conference Qari Hanif Jalandri who is a representative of a leading Dioband Madrassa ‘Wafaq Ul Madaris’ lent his unconditional support to polio eradication and played a key role in clearing misconceptions of others. The conference ended with a declaration being signed that polio eradication is a necessity for the future of the children of Pakistan and the world while the oral polio vaccine is acceptable by sharia.
Following the declaration the Sindh provincial steering committee on polio directed Deputy Commissioner East, Karachi, Mr. Samiuddin Siddiqui to engage with Jamiuthur Rasheed and seek their support to eradicate polio in UC-4 Gadap.
On Saturday 16th August 2014 The Deputy Commissioner led the team of officials from the government, UNICEF-COMNet and WHO to pay a visit to Jamiutur Rasheed for an Eid get together tea party and to meet with the representatives of the Madrassa to seek their support. They held an extensive session updating their leaders on the current situation of polio in the country and spoke about the importance of having them on board for polio eradication. The religious leaders agreed that they were not experts on polio and will have to accept what doctors say. They added that according to their religion it is their duty to prevent diseases that can affect their children and to save human life while agreed that the polio vaccine was in line with Sharia. However they demanded the continuation of the DC development plan (implemented by UNICEF-WASH) in other areas of UC4 Gadap which includes the construction of 2 overhead water tanks, 2 water filtration plants for safe drinking water, street pavements and the rehabilitation of the sanitation network as well as the construction of 300 new manholes for effective sanitation.
The Deputy Commissioner addressed the participants and assured them that he will liaison with partners to secure funds for development projects in UC-4 Gadap and will continue to support these activities.
The meeting ended with Jamia leaders assuring that they are ready to meet the DC and polio officials at any time and promised their support for polio eradication.
Three points were agreed upon
They would hold community influencers meetings in UC-4 Gadap and representatives from jamiath ur Rasheed would attend these meeting to clear misconceptions among the community as well as highlight the Madressas support to covert refusals.
They agreed to give a fatwa which encourages polio eradication and dispels controvercies surrounding the content of the oral polio vaccine.
They promised support in recruitment of local teams who can go door to door in the community as vaccinators which would include both male and females.
These are still early stages and ball may roll in either direction but if things do go as planned, in the next campaign the numbers of vaccinated children and the conversion of refusals is expected to rise. Once a Fatwa is officially issued and sessions are conducted in the community, access and vaccinations will increase significantly. However the hiring of female vaccinators to work in the area and having adequate security still remain a challenge for now.
As mentioned earlier having Jamiatur Rasheed on board as a supporter of polio program won’t only have benefits for UC-4 Gadap but for a number of areas across Pakistan where the Dioband sect is residing. While this move alone might not see the end of polio, it is a big step in the right direction.
