Submit your comments on this article |
India-Pakistan |
Polio eradication still seems far from reality |
2018-06-02 |
[DAWN] Despite expectations that the polio![]() virus would be eradicated in 2018, the emergence of two cases in Pakistain and nine cases in Afghanistan has panicked authorities in the health sectors as the two countries have been declared one block. "Recently, an 18-month-old girl was diagnosed with poliovirus in Dukki district of Balochistan...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... , taking the count for the first five months of the year in Pakistain to two. As poliovirus remains in a recessive mode during winters and becomes active with the increase in temperatures the coming days can be more worrying for us," said an official of the Ministry of National Health Services, requesting anonymity. "Though the health authorities in Pakistain and Afghanistan have stopped levelling allegations against each other, it is a fact that due to security issues polio campaigns cannot be held in many parts of Afghanistan. Even if Pakistain eradicates the virus it cannot be declared a polio-free country unless the virus is eradicated in Afghanistan too," he said. |
Posted by:Fred |