Peshawar: Cleric Mounts Drive Against Polio Vaccine

According to this article, Maulana Fazlullah, a religious leader in a village in the Swat district of Pakistan, is using an FM radio channel to advise people not to immunise their children against the polio vaccine. The radio show, known as Maulana radio, speaks against issues such the education of girls, entertainment including movies and television and polio vaccination.

According to a regular listener of the radio show, Maulana describes the polio vaccination as a “conspiracy of Jews and Christians to make Muslims impotent and stunt the growth of Muslims.” According to the article, most of the people in the villages under the influence of Maulana’s teachings refused to get their children vaccinated during an anti-polio drive.

An official with the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) and polio vaccination campaign named religious leaders as the main hindrance in the fight to eradicate polio in the district. He said that the government intended to use a social mobilisation strategy to raise awareness about polio vaccination among the religious leaders.

According to the article, Maulana radio is increasing in popularity amongst its mostly female listener base.