6 March 2013, Al Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
We, the participants of the Cairo consultation;
Noting with grave concern the ongoing violence and killing of the health workers in both Pakistan and Nigeria, thus denying the Muslim children their basic right to vaccination and protection from the crippling disease of polio
Hereby:
Strongly condemn all violence against health workers in Pakistan and Nigeria and any interference in the work of the health workers to deliver vaccination to all Muslim children;
Recognizing that protection of the children of Muslim Ummah is our joint responsibility and that protection of our children is obligatory for us as Muslims, we urge all parents and communities to ensure that the children receive polio vaccination during all campaigns ;
Call on all Islamic religious leaders, community leaders and health professionals to provide a strong message of support for polio eradication activities and the need to ensure that all children are fully immunized against polio and all other vaccine-preventable diseases.
We acknowledge and appreciate the tireless efforts of the millions of health workers, staff of the Ministries of Health, members of the religious community, civil society and partners to deliver a world free from polio for all our children.
