Many children in Aceh miss out on routine immunization because their fathers do not allow it, worried about potential side effects and influenced by rumours that immunization is forbidden (haram). Other issues, like a shortage of healthcare workers and false news contribute to the problem. As a result, Aceh has the lowest complete routine immunization coverage in Indonesia of 45.7% in 2022.
Sanusi Arifin was one of those fathers. He did not permit his children to be immunized due to concerns about side effects. However, everything changed when he learned that his son had tested positive for polio. A rush of emotions engulfed him, leaving his body momentarily limp, at the realisation that his negligence led to his third child being hospitalised for a week with paralysis in his leg. The severity of the situation struck him when Sanusi saw his son struggling to stand up while urinating.
Sanusi’s son is the third polio case in Bireuen, Aceh Province. Teams from the Ministry of Health, provincial health office, district health office, and WHO investigated and screened 200 houses, including Sanusi’s. During their visit, the WHO team stressed the importance of physiotherapy for his paralysed son.
Sanusi’s family resides in a modest house near a polluted river, due to economic challenges. The river overflows during the rainy season, worsening their living conditions. Sanusi’s son had never received vaccinations from the children’s routine immunization programme due to rumours of side effects. WHO team and a medical doctor from Puskesmas Jeunib explained how immunization works, possible side effects, and how to handle them at home.
This bitter experience taught Sanusi the importance of immunization for children. With his wife Rosnidar, seven months pregnant, he promised to ensure their fourth child would receive complete routine immunization. He now understands that immunization is a shared responsibility between both parents.
Sanusi acknowledges the fathers' significant role in ensuring their children are immunized. He also accepts the responsibility of comforting a fussy child if they develop a fever after immunization.
“Fathers have a crucial obligation to ensure their children receive adequate nutrition, grow up healthy with complete immunization, and are provided with protection and education,” he said.
Now equipped with new knowledge from WHO, Sanusi can perform routine physiotherapy for his son at home, supplementing hospital visits. Despite regret over his son’s compromised health, Sanusi hopes other families can learn from their experience. His story serves as a lesson for other parents, and he wishes no other parents should go through what he endured.
WHO’s activities in responding to the polio outbreak is generously supported by USAID.
Written by Muhammad Fathun, Vaccination Technical Officer, Aceh