Preventive measures: ‘Polio strain found in Peshawar originated from Afghanistan’

11th round of Sehat ka Insaf kicks off in Peshawar, 2nd in Mardan, Charsadda, Swabi.

PESHAWAR/SWABI: Gene sequencing of environmental samples collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) from Shaheen Muslim Town, Peshawar on February 26, has indicated that the poliovirus found here had originated from Kunar province in Afghanistan.

Talking to the media at the inauguration ceremony of the Sehat Ka Insaf campaign’s 11th round at Maulvi Ameer Shah Memorial Hospital, Peshawar on Sunday, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai said WHO had collected six environmental water samples from Shaheen Muslim Town and Larama on February 26. He added that two samples from Shaheen Muslim tested positive and genetic sequencing indicates that the viruses are most closely linked to a virus detected in environmental samples in Behsud, Kunar in Afghanistan. Tarakai also said the positive samples from Larama showed a link with Bara in Khyber Agency.

The minister said the environmental samples taken from sewerage lines of Shaheen Muslim tested negative for poliovirus after the fourth round of Sehat Ka Insaf in Peshawar. Tarakai informed that this union council had remained positive for poliovirus since July 2012 and had transported the disease to Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). He also added that on March 12 and April 3, new samples were taken from Shaheen Muslim and Larama, the results of which have not been declared yet.

“I request the Government of Afghanistan to take tangible steps for the eradication of poliovirus in their country and vaccinate children on all transit points of the Durand Line,” said Tarakai. “The federal government and the new K-P governor must conduct a polio campaign on an emergency basis in Khyber Agency if they want to control the spread of the disease.”

Tarakai said the K-P government has taken a great initiative with the cooperation of WHO and UNICEF, and has spent billions for the eradication of polio from the province. It will be alarming for the province, he added, if the disease is not stopped in Fata and Afghanistan.

In a separate press briefing at Officers Mess, Peshawar, Tarakai informed that around 1.4 million children were inoculated against polio in four districts, including the provincial capital on Sunday with the support of 8,089 teams. He said, however, that they had planned to reach out to about 1.6 million children.

Tarakai informed that Sheikhan union council was not included in this round, and they have planned to vaccinate the area on Wednesday. He also said that vaccination camps will be established for children who have been missed out.

Swabi

Tarakai inaugurated the second round of Sehat ka Insaf in Swabi by giving polio drops to several children in Bacha Khan Medical Complex, Shah Mansoor on Sunday.

While briefing the health minister, Deputy Commissioner Swabi Kamran Afridi said the Sehat ka Insaf programme was successfully running in the district and the WHO has also verified this fact.

“Sehat ka Insaf will clear the province from polio and various other fatal diseases,” said Tarakai while speaking on the occasion, adding that Swabi is the first district in the province where 85% of the drive’s set target was achieved in the first round. Tarakai said the coalition government is attempting to establish a healthy society and they are working to improve the condition of government hospitals to provide efficient basic health facilities to the people of K-P.

MNA Usman Khan Tarakai, DPO Sajjad Ahmad and district officials of the health department were also present on the occasion.

Charsadda

Tarakai also inaugurated the second round of Sehat ka Insaf in Charsadda district on the same day at DHQ Hospital.

Tarakai said on the occasion that the programme has been launched for the protection of the next generation, adding that the drive would have a long-lasting effect on K-P. He said Sehat ka Insaf was successful in its progress due to the cooperation of local elders, teachers, ulema and political leadership.

Tarakai informed that 273,848 children of the district would be immunised against nine fatal diseases in the second round of the drive, adding that 1,338 teams have been formed for the purpose. He added that 1,890 security officials had been deputed in all 49 union councils of the district to make sure the drive is conducted safely.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2014.