Pakistan is making all-out efforts to clear the country’s position to the international community, an FO official says.
The next 72 hours are crucial for Pakistan as the country may face travel restrictions from the World Health Organisation’s International Health Regulatory Emergency Committee for its failure to curb the spread of poliovirus. Fifty-six polio cases have been reported so far this year.
“The IHR Emergency Committee has been constituted by the WHO to review the status of polio-affected countries in order to give recommendations to Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO’s Director-General, regarding the possibility of imposing restrictions on Pakistan,” an official working at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity.
The committee conducted teleconference meetings from Geneva with the representatives of governments from polio-affected countries over two days. In Pakistan, the PM’s focal person on polio eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, and senior public health expert Dr Asad Hafeez spoke with the committee. The ministry official told The Express Tribune that “there is a serious threat that the members of the committee will recommend to Dr Chan that travel restrictions be imposed on Pakistan”. The committee’s decisions are legally binding.
According to Sona Bari, global spokesperson at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, the ongoing meeting between Pakistan’s representatives and the committee was a ‘closed-door meeting’. She said members of the emergency committee were independent experts in public health from various countries across the globe. “The WHO is not in a position either to influence or predict the outcome of the emergency committee,” she added. Bari said the committee commenced work on its report to Dr Chan on Monday and will continue to work for the next few days.
Meanwhile, an official from the Foreign Office in Pakistan, who wished not to be named, told The Express Tribune that Pakistan is making all-out efforts to clear the country’s position to the international community on the spread of the virus. Security issues, terrorism and geo-political issues have been cited as reasons for the continued struggle against the virus, the official said. “The international community should understand the major challenges Pakistan is facing,” said the official.
Minister of State for the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar told The Express Tribune that any travel restrictions would “discourage all stakeholders involved in eradicating polio from the country” and “the international community should understand the current situation of Pakistan and consider it before taking any major step”.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2014.
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@Blunt:
Afridi was giving legitimate hepatitis B inoculations - and Pakistan's polio problem existed long before Afridi. If Pakistan is ever going to resolve polio or a host of other problems it has to quit blaming the boogeyman.
I have been in various parts of country. This country has been hit by afghan cocoon of polio. They cross everyday in thousands for various incentives and put us in loop of never ending polio threat. Now it's 3rd generation of afghan refugees in Pakistan and 4 th in infancy but they never will naturalise rather take money for repatriation and then come back next morning with new fleet. I have signed afghans in kashmir, sindh interior desert areas name Any place they are abundant and multiplying so no more 3 million rather by formula of 30 yrs they have multiplied by 6 times. UN and WHO should put them back in place before we can count our stakesand areas of polio activity. So its multifactorial but real big one is afghan refugees naturalised and still bringing more unchecked. UNHCR is sleeping on bias.
There is enough problem and manpower to solve this problem, leaders in power are simply pathetic, they have so much ill-gotten money anyway. For once listen to WHO! and take action now, average Pakistanis are capable people, the leaders are just spineless and callous.
@Khan: What does doctors writing ten extra medicines have to do with pakistani not taking polio vaccines provided free by the government?
@Dr.Shafique: When we have blood sucker doctors in our country how come can we come out of these medical problems. I am sure that 90% of doctor still write 10 extra medicine for one simple medical problem, Doctors of Pakistan are bribed by medical rep to sell their medicine. you don't accept the blood/medical or xray result of another LAB because you get commission per patient from your designated medical LAB.
CIA's agent Dr. Shakeel Afridi may be 'awarded' with noble for his enormous contributions in eradicating the polio from Pakistan.
Good, at least now the all the state functionaries will put heart and soul into it as they will be the prime losers if a travel bas is imposed.
Pakistani nationals, already shunned by the world because of various reasons, including the fear that they may be violent extremists in disguise, face another problem: polio. No country in the world will allow Pakistanis to set foot on their soil if the government and the nation do not urgently take steps to stop and eradicate this deadly disease which can cripple the next generation. India and a number of other countries are already making it extremely difficult for Pakistanis to get visas and enter their countries. Pakistan faces total isolation if our politicians and all those responsible for this malaise do not work to stop the progression of this disease. Our mullahs, for their own personal gains, have been preventing polio vaccinations, but they are in effect contributing to making Pakistan a nation of cripples and people with all kinds of disabilities. Soon, nobody would like to visit Pakistan. Businesspeople will avoid Pakistan. The economy will be the worst hit and there will no inflow of any foreign investments.
If a country has problem of resources, world community should understand, assist and work with it. However, if the country's problem is from its religion, it must be reprimanded.