Meeting concludes: K-P still hotbed of poliovirus

Number of reported polio cases drops from 300 to 22

ISLAMABAD:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) continues to be a major cause of concern for the international community as the province has yet again reported the highest number of polio cases this year.

The observation came during the two-day meeting of the International Monitoring Board (IMB) on Polio, which concluded in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Of the 22 polio cases reported across the country so far, nine cases have been from Peshawar alone. The board meeting, however, appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for a major turnaround in the polio situation in the past six months.

Last year, over 300 polio cases were reported in Pakistan. A massive decline has been witnessed both in the number of polio cases and vaccination refusals this year.



Highlighting the need to further build the capacity of provincial emergency operation centres, the IMB felt confident that with the current momentum, Pakistan was on track to interrupt virus transmission by May 2016. Around 300,000 children under the age of five years had not been administered polio drops in the tribal areas.

Support of the armed forces and a well-thought-out security strategy were critical to resumption of campaigns in the security-compromised areas, observed the IMB members, according to a statement issued by the national health services ministry.

IMB Chairperson Sir Liam Donaldson made specific mention of the creative responses by the country to challenges like mass exodus of population from North Waziristan by conducting successful large scale transit vaccinations.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2015.