Vaccination Against Child Killer Diseases During Ashura Mourning
By Ibrahim Usman
The Islamic Medical team, a branch of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria has embarked on vaccination of children brought to the Ashura mourning session, against child killer diseases such as measles. The medical team uses the occassion to provide medical assistance and services as a way of boosting heathcare in the society.
Mothers were seen presenting their children below the ages of five to medical officials in Kano city, and people in the neighbourhood also uses the opportunity during the Ashura mourning session at Markaz to present their children for the vaccation. The Islamic Movement in Nigeria under Sheikh Zakzaky (H), through the medical team, had lent its voice to the national and global call for eradicating deadly diseases among children. It could be recalled that the Social Mobilization Committee on polio eradication in Kaduna State had visited Sheikh Zakzaky (H) for support towards eradication of polio in Nigeria. Sheikh Zakzaky (H) had told them that vaccination against avoidable killer diseases was in the right course, and that the Islamic Movement through its medical branch, had been carrying out vaccination against diseases over the years. Nigeria and Aghanistan top the list of countries with high prevalence of polio cases in the world despite huge resources committed by government for public enlightenment.
The effort of the Islamic Movement towards this direction had impacted positively on public participation in the move to eradicate deadly diseases in Nigeria. During several programmes, members undertake social services to the community such as free circumcission for children, free medical assistance to cholera victims, free spray of insecticide and evacuation of blocked drainages, to guard against malaria, and many more sanitary services. Sisters branch of the Movement also contruct free boreholes to communities during commemoration of birthday of the Beloved daughter of the Prophet (S), Sayyedah Zahra (AS), as contribution to providing accessible drinking water and to guard against the incessant water borne diseases in Nigerian communities.