endpolio.com.pk PakFightsPolio polioeradicationinitiative NATIONAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE NEWSLETTER RELIGIOUS SUPPORT PERSONS INITIATIVE - EDITION OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER - 2020 ISSUE-01| PUBLISHED: 01 FEBRUARY 2021 COVER STORY HIGHLIGHTS Islamic Advisory Group Lauds • PSTF Members Meet Provincial Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa • PEOC held Consultative Meeting Pakistan’s Efforts of Polio with PSTF Members in Karachi • Secretary General Wafaq-ul-Madaris Eradication Pakistan Inaugurated Polio Campaign in Peshawar • PSTF Members and RSPs Urge The Islamic Advisory Group for Polio Eradication has Parents for Polio Vaccination appreciated Pakistan’s resolve and fight to end polio, • Meetings with Paish Imams and reaffirming its support towards global polio eradication Ulema at Madaris efforts with a special focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan. • PSTF Members from Quetta ask Ulema to support Polio campaigns • PPA and PIMA Support Polio Campaigns in Karachi NATIONAL UPDATES PSTF Members Reaffirm President of Pakistan their Support on COVID-19 Activities In a statement released after the Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar virtual conduction of 7th IAG meeting, reaffirmed the strong commitment by the IAG urges religious leaders and the government of Pakistan, to end influential community leaders in polio from the country and mentioned Afghanistan and Pakistan to continue that all concrete efforts are being fully supporting ongoing polio made in this regard. eradication efforts and mobilize Whilst reaffirming commitment to parents and caregivers in their areas eradicate polio, the IAG praised to regularly vaccinate their children Pakistan for its alignment with the In an online meeting with the President of against polio as well as other Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Arif Alvi, the Provincial vaccine-preventable diseases. Strategic Health Programme of Action Scholars Taskforce (PSTF) members have While representing Pakistan at the and acknowledged the tremendous reaffirmed their support to the government in its IAG meeting, the National support during the ongoing COVID-19 efforts against COVID-19 pandemic across the Coordinator for the polio programme, pandemic. country. President Alvi appreciated the role of Ulmea (religious scholars) in creating awareness among people during the first wave of the pandemic and urged for same amid the second wave of the contagion. PSTF members while reassuring the President, shared that they will keep playing their role in all the ongoing and planned actions of the government to defeat the pandemic and stand together with the nation as to achieve the ‘one’ goal of a polio and COVID-19 free Pakistan. 1 NATIONAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE NEWSLETTER RELIGIOUS SUPPORT PERSONS INITIATIVE - EDITION OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER - 2020 PROVINCIAL UPDATES: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa PROVINCIAL UPDATES: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa campaigns. The PSTF members from PSTF Members Meet Provincial Chief Secretary Secretary General Lakki Marwat, Mardan, Peshawar and Wafaq-ul-Madaris Pakistan South Waziristan, specially appeared on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa TV talk shows and participated in radio Inaugurated Polio Campaign The Provincial Scholar Taskforce (PSTF) members shared that they were part of programmes to advocate for polio members from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa many activities being implemented from in Peshawar vaccination. have reaffirmed their support to the Provincial Emergency Operation Centre provincial government in efforts against under Pakistan Polio Eradication COVID-19 pandemic and of polio Programme to create awareness among eradication across the province. In their communities and religious leaders on the meeting with the Chief Secretary Khyber adoption of COVID-19 SOPs at religious Pakhtunkhwa in Peshawar, the PSTF and public places. The Secretary General Wafaq-ul-Madaris Pakistan, Qari Muhammad Hanfi Jalandhir inaugurated a polio campaign in Peshawar. Vaccinating a child in a local madrasa he noted that “vaccinating children for polio and other diseases is in accordance with the Islamic Shariah and therefore all parents should vaccinate their children.” He further maintained that Wafaq-ul-Madaris Pakistan will keep PROVINCIAL UPDATES: Sindh supporting efforts of the government for PEOC held Consultative Meeting with the national cause of polio eradication PSTF Members in Karachi from the country. Provincial Scholars pledged their support to polio eradication activities PROVINCIAL UPDATES: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa PSTF Members and RSPs Urge Parents on Media, for Polio Vaccination As part of World Polio Day cope with the prevailing challenges in the commemorations, Provincial Emergency Super High Risk Union Councils Operation Centre (PEOC) in coordination (SHRUCs) of Karachi. Based on this As part of campaigning and awareness with Rotary International, organized consultation and follow up coordination, raising activities, the PSTF members and different activities including a the PSTF members participated in RSPs endorsed the polio campaigns consultative meeting with the Provincial various community engagement through various media channels across Scholars Taskforce (PSTF) members on activities. Calling it a “national obligation” the country. In a number of video 22 October in Karachi. The objective of the PSTF members provided support in messages, as broadcast on local cable this consultative meeting was to share creating awareness amongst religious networks and social media, the religious the key highlights of Pakistan polio leaders, parents and communities on leaders urged the parents and Programme with the provincial scholars, polio vaccination during the October and communities to vaccinate their children and to ask for their support in order to November campaigns. during October and November 2 NATIONAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE NEWSLETTER RELIGIOUS SUPPORT PERSONS INITIATIVE - EDITION OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER - 2020 campaigns. The PSTF members from PROVINCIAL UPDATES: Sindh | Balochistan | Punjab | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Lakki Marwat, Mardan, Peshawar and Awareness Raising through Friday Sermons South Waziristan, specially appeared on TV talk shows and participated in radio and Mosque Announcements programmes to advocate for polio vaccination. Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme For every immunization campaign, the has also engaged local Religious Support Paish Imams highlight the importance of PROVINCIAL UPDATES: Sindh Persons (RSPs) in liaising with Paish polio vaccination during the Friday Meetings with Paish Imams Imams (local clerics) to seek their support sermons. It has proved very beneficial in and Ulema at Madaris in raising awareness on polio vaccination convincing hardcore communities and during the Friday Sermons. parents to vaccinate their children during the campaigns. The initiative has also contributed towards less number of recorded refusals as converging the religious refusal to acceptance in SHRUCs and other remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. During October and November campaigns. The RSPs also made mosque announcements to inform the local communities and For the October and November polio parents about the schedule of campaigns campaigns, the Ulema of well-known in their areas. Madaris including Jamia Tul Uloom Ul Islamia/Binori Town, Jamia Daruloom, Jamia Naeemia, Dawat-E-Islami PROVINCIAL UPDATES: Sindh (Faizan-E-Madina), Jamia Sattaria Islamia, PPA and PIMA Support Polio Campaigns in Karachi Jamia Binoria and others were approached to seek support for the polio programme. The PSTF members urged the Ulema to play their crucial role in sensitising parents and communities to vaccinate their children against polio and other diseases. The Paish Imams and Khateebs reassured their full support in convincing people to cooperate with polio teams and vaccinating their children. PROVINCIAL UPDATES: Balochistan PSTF Members from Quetta ask Ulema to Support Polio Campaigns Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) and activities among parents and Pakistan Islamic Medical Association communities to vaccinate their children As part of advocacy and lobbying (PIMA) supported polio campaign against polio and other diseases. activities, the PSTF members from activities during October and November Besides their support in community As part of campaigning and awareness Quetta Block held meetings with Ulema Campaigns in Karachi. A Memorandum of engagement, the PPA and PIMA doctors raising activities, the PSTF members and (religious leaders) in Quetta, Pishin and Understanding (MOU) has also been have also participated in various media RSPs endorsed the polio campaigns Killa Abdullah. The main purpose of their signed between EOC Sindh and the discussions and programmes to advocate through various media channels across meetings was to achieve the support of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association for polio and immunisation activities. the country. In a number of video the anti-polio Ulema in these districts for (PIMA) in Karachi on 23rd October 2020. PIMA has also assured to provide venue messages, as broadcast on local cable NIDs January, 2021 campaign. During the Under this MOU, the doctors from PIMA support for establishing polio desks and networks and social media, the religious meeting, the PSTF members also invited are supporting Pakistan Polio Eradication vaccination points at their clinics and leaders urged the parents and the Ulema in a provincial seminar on polio Programme while the PPA doctors have hospitals. communities to vaccinate their children eradication. also been engaged