ISLAMABAD: The Islamic Advisory Group on Thursday launched a training manual titled: ‘Polio Eradication, Mother and Child Health and Immunisation’. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Pakistan, the manual provides practical guidance on how to engage local communities to advocate for vaccination as well as other maternal and child healthcare issues. The launch took place during the group’s fourth annual meeting that convened at the headquarters of Al Azhar Al Sharif, hosted by Grand Imam Dr Ahmed El Tayyib. The Imam expressed his happiness to see the progress achieved to eradicate polio in a satisfactory and reassuring manner, saying: “As Muslims we shouldn’t still be discussing a subject that has already been settled a long time ago. This is a situation that has resulted from the misunderstanding of our Qur’an and religion and its teachings.” He said Al Azhar Al Sharif’s continued support and announced that the Publishing and Translation Department of Al Azhar would translate the training manual into 20 languages. IAG leaders thanked the health workers and Islamic scholars, who, he said, were helping the world realise its goal of eradicating polio once and for all. They also recognised the remarkable leadership provided by the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the commitment of their fellow OIC Member States in maintaining adequate support. Dr Shawki Allam, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, also commended the contribution of the IAG to polio eradication efforts by addressing religious-based refusals on the ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the past few years, polio eradication efforts have been hindered in some areas of Muslim countries due to misperceptions about the vaccine and the lack of safe access to children. While levels of vaccine refusal are low, they are persistent in certain areas – the very places to which the trained students belong. Mr Hatem El Khodary delivered the address of WHO Acting Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Jaouad Mahjour, in which he commended the work of the IAG and its national affiliates in Afghanistan and Pakistan in supporting the efforts of the national governments and their implementing partners. “Islam strongly advocates the preservation and protection of children’s health and well-being,” he said. “Countless prominent Islamic scholars, including those gathered under the IAG banner, have repeatedly confirmed this and have urged Muslim parents and influencers to ensure the immunization of all children.” Dr Abdelqahir Qamar, director of the Fatwa Department at the Jeddah-based International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), affirmed that the work of the IAG to protect the lives of children follows what Islam commands its followers. “We are guided by the teachings of God Almighty, and are enlightened by the instructions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), blessings and peace be upon him, which require us to take care of our health, follow reason in strengthening the body and soul, and command us to seek medication to avert death, and to save the soul from destruction,” he said. The launch of the training manual follows IAG’s efforts to prepare students of religious studies at key universities in predominantly Muslim countries to act as advocates for critical health initiatives particularly in high-risk areas where marginalised and underserved populations reside. As future religious leaders and scholars the students will be well placed within their local communities to promote healthy behavior and dispel rumors and misinformation that hamper the work of vaccination teams and deprive their community members of protection against polio and other vaccine preventable diseases. Published in Daily Times, November 24th 2017.