Four new polio cases surface in tribal areas
Two of the minors hail from Bannu, while two belong to South Waziristan
Technical advisory group paints bleak picture, offers host of remedial suggestions. PHOTO: FILE
BANNU/WAZIRISTAN:
Four new polio cases have surfaced in the tribal areas according to the health ministry, Express News reported.
Two of the minors hail from Bannu, while two belong to South Waziristan. The total number of polio cases in the country has now reached 74 in 2014.
Out of the 74 cases, 57 are from FATA, 11 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and six from Sindh.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a “public health emergency” at the start of May after new polio cases began surfacing and spreading across borders from countries including Pakistan.
The disease remains endemic in Pakistan, which is responsible for 80 percent of polio cases diagnosed around the world this year.
Pakistan saw 91 cases last year, up from 58 in 2012.
Polio continues to surface, mainly in the tribal areas along the Afghan border and Karachi.
Polio traced back to Pakistan has been found in Afghanistan and Syria and the new campaign of vaccination is aimed not at eradicating the disease from Pakistan but at stopping its spread beyond its borders.
The government has now called on the army to go with health workers in the tribal areas and vaccinate anyone trying to leave.
Four new polio cases have surfaced in the tribal areas according to the health ministry, Express News reported.
Two of the minors hail from Bannu, while two belong to South Waziristan. The total number of polio cases in the country has now reached 74 in 2014.
Out of the 74 cases, 57 are from FATA, 11 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and six from Sindh.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a “public health emergency” at the start of May after new polio cases began surfacing and spreading across borders from countries including Pakistan.
The disease remains endemic in Pakistan, which is responsible for 80 percent of polio cases diagnosed around the world this year.
Pakistan saw 91 cases last year, up from 58 in 2012.
Polio continues to surface, mainly in the tribal areas along the Afghan border and Karachi.
Polio traced back to Pakistan has been found in Afghanistan and Syria and the new campaign of vaccination is aimed not at eradicating the disease from Pakistan but at stopping its spread beyond its borders.
The government has now called on the army to go with health workers in the tribal areas and vaccinate anyone trying to leave.