Close to 250 accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and 100 Muslim religious heads attended the programme.
Waking up to an abysmal rate of immunisation of children in Mewat district of Haryana, which stands at 13 per cent, the district administration convened a meeting of health workers and religious heads for sensitisation against rumours.
Close to 250 accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and 100 Muslim religious heads attended the programme.
Viral videos of vaccines rendering children infertile have been doing the rounds for two months. Mewat will enter Phase II of the fourth round of Mission Indradhanush (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Immunisation Programme). There has been no respite from the rumours, viral videos, WhatsApp messages that claim that vaccinations — cited as ‘Modi Sui,’ or ‘Modi Goli’ — are a conspiracy against Muslims to control their population,” said Rajni Yadram, an ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist).
High-octane meeting
While deputy commissioner Maniram Sharma spited ASHAs in the meeting and roused their ire by calling them, nikkami (useless), ASHAs rose up in protest and said that they were doing their work sincerely, but had no support of the community, and were not backed by paramedical support.
“We are helpless. People have told us that they will break our bones if we talk of immunisation,” said Rehmani Subhanka, an ASHA worker from Kardi village. “At a paltry salary of Rs 1,000 what are we expected to do?”
Yahya Karimi, President, Al-Aman Islamic Centre, said, “There has been a very low turnout of religious clerics. We want myths against vaccination to be dispelled.”
Immunisation rates had picked up in Mewat two months ago to 30 per cent according to WHO, but dropped to 13 per cent, owing to rumours, said Dr Suresh Dalpat, State Immunisation Officer.
News in numbers
Of the 80,000 children born in Mewat every year, nearly 70,000 do not receive all their vaccinations
Mewat has only 80 Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANMs) while it needs 200. There is a shortage of ASHA workers, too, with 874 as opposed to 1,150 required for the region.
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