SWABI, June 24: Officials of the anti-polio immunisation programme are trying to convince people in Malikabad in the Gadoon area to allow them to vaccinate their children.

Sources told this correspondent here on Saturday that during the previous two polio immunisation campaigns, people kept their children away from the reach of medical teams.

They said that the people believed that the immunisation programme was a western birth control ploy, which the people deem to be against religious injunctions.

The sources said that the officials concerned held a meeting with members of the local jirga and Tehsil Swabi Nazim Hanif Gul Jadoon, who also belonged to the same area.

They said that they had been assured of complete support during the next immunisation drive but it remained to be seen if the people would allow their children to be immunised during the next anti-polio drive.

A representative of the World Health Organisation stayed here for more than a week to determine the cause of the people’s refusal and how they could be convinced to allow their children to be immunised.