Calcutta, April 20: The Unicef has for the first time decided to take the help of the state madarsa board to overcome the hurdle of continuous lack of participation among a section of population in the pulse polio immunisation programme.

As assigned by the Unicef, the West Bengal Board of Madarsa Education will organise camps for madarsa schoolteachers in some belts of nine districts — specially those dominated by minority communities — to train them on the need for eradicating polio.

The nine districts are Malda Murshidabad, North and South Dinajpur, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Burdwan and Birbhum.

The teachers will later visit villages to motivate the parents.

“A month ago, Unicef authorities requested us to undertake a scheme for raising awareness among those not keen to participate in the immunisation programme,” said board secretary Mohammed Refatullah. The teachers would explain the necessity of the immunisation programme and also tell the parents the possible health hazards if they did not allow health officials to administer pulse polio drops to their children.

Unicef has requested the board to conduct the training camps on an emergency basis so that a maximum number of unwilling parents turn up during the next phase of the programme in June. Nearly 1,000 teachers of nearly 200 junior high, high and senior madarsa schools, including the pricipals, two science teachers and a member of the faculty teaching preferably Arabic, will be involved in the programme.

The board will hold a two-day camp on April 25 and 26. The areas to be covered in the first phase include Bhagabangola, Lalgola, Aurangabad, Farakka, and Samserganj.

Besides holding discussions with the parents, the board will also display posters with slogans written in simple language to campaign for full participation in programme.