World Health Organisation has warned that travel restrictions may be imposed on Pakistani citizens from May if anti-polio immunization continues to be hampered in the Islamic country.
Islamabad, March 13/Nationalturk – In order to force Pakistan government to ensure 100 per cent anti-polio immunization in the country, World Health Organisation has warned that travel restrictions may be imposed on Pakistani citizens from May if anti-polio immunization continues to be hampered in the Islamic country.
Around 260,000 kids have not been vaccinated against polio for the past two years in Pakistan because vaccination teams cannot carry out door-to-door campaigns in tribal areas of the country due to attacks on health workers.
According to officials, dozens of polio and health workers including women workers and about 30 policemen accompanying them have been killed in attacks carried by militants, who are against anti-immunization drive.
Many health workers, policemen killed in attacks
Due to threat to their lives, the health workers have been reluctant to administer anti-polio drops to children in tribal areas and some other parts of country, where they have been attacked.
Director General World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Margrate Chan told reporters in Pakistan capital that she felt that leaders in the country were committed to the health of women and children.
“A lot of efforts have been put in but polio is still circulating in areas of Pakistan. Pakistan remains one of the three polio endemic countries including Afghanistan and Nigeria,” she said.
Stating that member states of the organisation had serious reservations regarding the virus transmission by Pakistan into polio free world, Chan said, “The executive committee of the organisation is going to meet in May this year and may decide about imposing travel restrictions on Pakistan”.
24 children paralysed by polio this year
Due to outbreak of polio, 24 children have already been paralysed this year, 21 of them in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, mostly in North Waziristan, Pakistan newspaper, The News reported recently.
Poliovirus of Pakistani origin were reported detected in Egypt, Israel and the West Bank and Gaza Strip last year and has caused a large outbreak in Syria. Nigeria and Afghanistan are recording decline in polio cases but Pakistan is the only polio-endemic country with a growing outbreak.
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Asia News/ NationalTurk Pakistan News
