Polio virus: WHO extends journey restrictions on Pakistan

The WHO deemed Pakistan and Afghanistan to be harmful international locations in a current assertion by the Thirtieth Polio IHR Emergency Committee, stating that the 2 international locations have did not eradicate polio totally and could also be answerable for the virus’s world unfold.
Pakistan, then again, has made exceptional strides in opposition to polio, because the incidence of Wild Polio Virus (WPV1) circumstances has decreased to zero within the earlier ten months, down from 84 reported circumstances in 2020.

The Committee noticed that Pakistan’s main downside continues to be the ‘persistently neglected kids’ in core reservoirs, in addition to coping with parental refusals and troubling polio vaccination programmes in delicate areas.

Nonetheless, the committee famous that the viral presence in Pakistan’s sewerage techniques has diminished, which has aided within the an infection’s containment.

In keeping with the WHO, Afghanistan is the first supply of Wild Polio Virus, which enters Pakistan by way of refugee migration. This poses a critical menace to Pakistan.

Polio surveillance will proceed in Pakistan for an extra three months, and Pakistanis touring abroad will likely be required to show polio immunization.

The polio associated journey restrictions had been imposed in Pakistan in Might 2014.