Karzai asks scholars to help anti-polio efforts

KABUL): President Hamid Karzai has called on religious scholars, imams and tribal elders to help the government implement anti-polio vaccination campaigns.

In a message to the nation aired on radio on Thursday night, Karzai said he hoped scholars and elders in villages would make efforts at making the campaigns a success.

“If militants do not allow the vaccination, please tell them that not allowing it is an enmity with children.”

In order to prevent the disease from spreading, the President urged parents to administer polio drops to their children during vaccination drives.

As a result of previous anti-polio vaccination campaigns, the prevalence of and mortality from polio had considerably been reduced, Karzai, adding only 25 polio cases surfaced throughout the country last year.

However, the cases increased this year, when about 80 cases in 18 provinces were detected.

frm/ma

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