01.09.2013, KSA – Prominent Islamic Scholars (the Ulama) from Pakistan, other Muslim countries and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) haved pledged to support the Polio Eradication Program in Pakistan. The scholars disclosed this during a two day session organised by the Islamic Development Bank at its headquarters in Jeddah, KSA, where they discussed the challenges hindering the implementation of the Polio Eradication Program (PEP) in Pakistan. The Ulama also commended IDB for its
contribution to the Polio Eradication Program.

In his opening address to the meeting, the IDB Group Chairman, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, expressed appreciation to the Ulama for their participation and stated that the IDB will do its best to contribute to the eradication of infectious diseases in its member countries and that “the decision to contribute to polio eradication in Pakistan came in line with the resolutions of the 3rd Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference in Makkah in December, 2005, on whose basis a 10 year action
plan was designed to overcome the major challenges ahead of the Islamic Ummah”.

Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Program, supported by an IDB financing of US$ 227 million, in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to vaccinate 34 million children under the age of five against Polio with the goal of eradicating the disease by 2016 from Pakistan. Polio is an infectious viral disease which leads to paralysis, difficulty in breathing and even death at any age especially in children under the age of 5. Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only remaining
polio endemic countries in the world, requiring concerted efforts to eradicate the disease. It is worth mentioning that the first disbursement (US$ 32 million) from IDB financing was made in early August, 2013 to the World Health Organization.

Currently, the Polio Eradication Program in Pakistan is facing serious challenges due to misconceptions from some parts of the population, resulting in assaults against polio eradication workers, some of whom were injured or even killed in some parts of the country.

At the end of the two day deliberations, the Ulama issued a joint statement in which they “acknowledged that the challenges facing the PEP in Pakistan are complex and have different social, cultural, religious and political dimensions”. “We appreciate the Islamic Development Bank’s endeavors in supporting Polio Eradication Program in Pakistan and pledge our complete commitment to ensure its success”, the statement reads.

Furthermore, the Ulama “strongly denounced the killing of polio eradication workers and stressed that their killing had no justification from Islamic, moral and humanity aspects”. Similarly, they also “denounced the use of polio campaign and other public health programs related activities for any political, intelligence or any other purpose”. They also put their full weight behind the recommendations of the Cairo (6-7 March, 2013) and Islamabad (5 June, 2013) Meetings on Polio Eradication
Program.

The statement of the meeting also called for “enhancing the leadership role of health authorities at the district levels” in all aspects of the vaccination campaign as well as “emphasizing the importance of the Ulama’s involvement in the relevant program implementation activities” through regular consultation. It then urged the need for candid dialogue amongst the various stake-holders. The statement further recommended that arrangements be made for Eminent Ulama from other member countries to
visit Pakistan and give sermons and lectures on the topic to enhance awareness on the importance of polio eradication as a prelude to the health of the Muslim world. It was also recommended that the Imams in the regions concerned in Pakistan discuss in their Friday sermons, the importance of polio vaccination. In this regard, an appropriate use of the media by the Ulama, Government Authorities, UN Agencies and polio eradication workers was suggested to ensure clarification of political,
religious, medical, social and other issues related to polio vaccination.

The statement further highlighted the envisaged role of the IDB and the IIFA in organizing an international awareness conference to be attended by the Ulama from Pakistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Somalia as well as other member countries of the Bank.