An official in the Ministry of NHSRC who requested anonymity said it will be mandatory from June 1 for people of all ages to receive polio drops and produce a certificate before travelling out of the country. PHOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan government has made it compulsory for all travellers moving out of the country to produce a valid polio vaccine certificate from June 1.
It was announced in a joint statement issued on Tuesday by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) and WHO on the temporary recommendations of international travel to and from Pakistan issued by International Health Regulations (IHR).
“Pakistan takes seriously its responsibilities as a signatory to the IHR 2005 and is fully committed to their implementation in letter and spirit,” said the statement.
An official in the Ministry of NHSRC who requested anonymity said it will be mandatory from June 1 for people of all ages to receive polio drops and produce a certificate before travelling out of the country.
“A template for the required vaccination certificate has been prepared in compliance with the IHR format. Meanwhile, until printing of the template has been completed, the certificate can be issued on plain paper with the required stamps from health officials,” said the official.
The official said that both the federal and provincial governments since the May 5 travel restrictions have started initiating the strategy and working for effective implementation.
“However, as said earlier this entire process requires time for the full implementation of the strategy. It is because one of the major challenges it is facing is to ensure the availability of polio vaccines, certificate and human resources at every airport, dry port and exit points at country borders and hospitals,” said the official.
WHO Acting Country Representative in Pakistan Dr Nima Saeed Abid said though travel restrictions on Pakistan were effective from May 5 this year, the country was given some time for its effective and complete implementation.
“WHO has no issue on this as it completely depends on the country’s government how they implement it,” he said.
He further said, however, that the World Health Assembly (WHA) is scheduled from May 19 to 24 and it would have been better for Pakistan to tell the international community that so far they have implemented this strategy.
Dr Abid said that Pakistan requires over 300 million polio vaccines per year to vaccinate people moving out of the country.
National steering committee meeting on polio
A National Steering Committee for Polio Eradication met on Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat to review the current situation of polio in the country as well as progress made in light of the IHR temporary recommendation for Pakistan travellers.
It was chaired by Ayesha Raza Farooq, the premier’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication.
Dr Waqar Ajmal, Senior Program Officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, highlighted the importance of preparatory phase of every campaign which is not being managed according to the National Emergency Action Plan at different levels.
“This is a time to further strengthen the surveillance system as we have seen some weaknesses in it,” he said.
Dr Abid shared that the existence of the virus shows weakness in the areas where the quality of polio campaigns is not being maintained and there is a poor mechanism for overseeing the drives.
The National Technical Focal Person, PM Polio Monitoring Cell shared that around $249 million have been secured by the government to fully support implementation of the Emergency Action Plan and this support is sufficient till 2015 with a gap of only $35 million.
Ayesha Raza Farooq said, “The government of Pakistan is fully committed to ensuring full compliance with the IHR emergency committee recommendations once the final guidelines are shared.”
While major international airports in the country have set up polio booths for the vaccination of travellers going abroad, no booth has been set up at the Islamabad airport.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 14th, 2014.
COMMENTS (18)
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Dear All,
I am a Civil Engineer and a victim of Polio disease, I am wondering that can I travel abroad, and whats the point showing the certificate with being affected by Polio. I am traveling abroad next week and I am told that the rule will applicable from 1st June.
Kind Regards, Zulfiqar
@Karim Khan:
OPV is a perfectly acceptable drug. First world countries don't use it because OPV has a chance of causing 1 out of 750k people to have permanent paralysis and also because they eradicated polio in 80s. So for them it all makes sense to move to the more safer though costlier option. Pakistan is a third world country which is globally blamed for exporting polio, so it is a wise decision to use a cost effective method and ignore the 1 out of 750k possibility. What is wrong in that? It is accepted by WHO and all other organizations. Why confuse others with misleading information?
Secondly, why act on recommendation? You want to wait for more harsh things to come? Wise men take action before things go out of hands. Polio in our case has already pass all the danger signs. So lets at least keep this slavery allegation for some other issue.
It is our negative approach towards our country and its fellowmen that Allah's wrath is upon us. We need to get out of this frame of mind. Face realities and act accordingly. Keep our opinions aside if its for a good cause. I don't support any party in Pakistan but at least because of this WHO recommendation, things are being done.
Pakistan has no flaws ... its inhabitants are full of flows.
Papi, I am happy t see that there is at least one person who is knowledgeable and in his right mind. It is shocking to see the ignorance as well as deceit on media about OPV. The vaccine has been proven tp be dangerous and banned in western Europe, in US, and most of the developed world. and another guy asked a million-dollar question, why implement a recommendation? And the answer is simple - slavery! Pakistan has dropped to an unimaginable level of slavery. I am now thinking not to return to Pakistan at all. I can't drop that low which this country demands.
OPV can cause vaccine associated polio. It is not given in the US. No adult in his/her right mind should take a risk of getting polio by getting OPV. Pakistan govt has gone mad by implementing this policy.
@toll: How brain dead are you. Imran is crying our loud for years to talk to our "innocent taliban brothers' and these "innocent taliban brothers" are the ones who are killing polio workers and calling polio vaccinations as a western plot.
@Ch. Allah Daad: The funny thing is, the virus has been discovered in Karachi and Lahore, not in Peshawar.
@ims fan: @Ch. Allah Daad
Both Nawaz and IK are useless. It is because of both of them (PTI government in KPK) that we are seeing this day. Don't try to put the blame on the other. Both are just as incompetent.
Ch dude what has imran khan got to do with this!!! please go check up the political distribution and then start blaming!!
want to add further, when jacob zuma (south africa president) announced hiv test mqchine or something, he did it as well. Yes he can't be willfully carrying HIV, but unwillingly and unknowingly, he could've. Laws should be equal.
i also hope the senate, parliament and everyone comes under this law. They're exempted from security check (PM can't be carrying bombs), but no way of knowing if he is carrying polio, as bombs are carried by will and knowingly. Polio is carried unwillingly and unknowningly.
@Ch. Allah Daad: how brain dead are you? Most polio cases came from Fata which is under Nawaza league.
I hope there will be no discrimination this will be equally applicable on our PM and Ministers who frequently travels.
I think neither people or Govt. Of Pak knows anything about polio vaccination to eradicate polio. This polio vac. during pulse polio programme Is not to protect the individual or the child from polio. OPV contains attenuated P virus. The disease causing virus is wild polio virus. When we give it in mass, in one day in whole of country , wild virus is replaced by attenuated virus in the children's gut& wild virus is thrown out in stools & get killed bcs it can't survive outside gut. So whole wild virus is killed in the country. Idea of giving OPV to adults is same. So that they don't carry P V in their gut to other country. IPV is of no use for this purpose.It can give immunity to the individual but can't replace the wild polio virus. It is duty of your health deptt. to educate the people.
Congratulations to Imran Khan. His useless KP government has shown us this day.
But the FO said WHO's decison was merely a reccomedation... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Why implement a reccomendation?
...and yet again someone will put drops in Nawaz's and his family's mouth (he is used to having it). or on the other hand he and his cronies will make fake health certificates as they became MPA and MNA using fake degrees.
WHO has been warning for some time and the writing was on the wall for everyone to see except our government. Is there any one or department responsible for this fiasco? Pakistani government can't do anything right except begging.