Rising polio cases shadow vaccination campaign in Pak.

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

Polio cases in Pakistan have seen a concerning increase, with health officials confirming 39 new cases since January 2023.
This is a significant rise compared to only six cases reported in the same period last year.
The country is preparing for a new vaccination campaign starting on October 28, aimed at vaccinating at least 32 million children and making Pakistan a polio free state.

Challenges to vaccination:

Violence against health workers and the police tasked with protecting them has severely hampered vaccination efforts in Pakistan.
Health workers often face threats and attacks from militants who propagate false narratives about the vaccines being a western conspiracy to sterilize children. This hostility poses a significant barrier to eradicating polio.
The Taliban recently decided to halt a door-to-door vaccination campaign in Afghanistan. Given the close cross-border movement between the two countries, this decision could have severe repercussions for Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts.

Geographical Concerns:

The majority of new polio cases have emerged from Balochistan and Sindh provinces, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
This shift in the geographic distribution of cases is alarming, especially since previous outbreaks were primarily concentrated in the northwest region bordering Afghanistan.

About Polio:

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious viral disease caused by the poliovirus.
It primarily affects children under five and can lead to paralysis, disability, or even death.
There is no cure for the disease, but it can be prevented with the polio vaccine.
Symptoms: In most cases, mild symptoms like fever, fatigue or no symptoms. However, in severe cases it can lead to paralysis and death.
Transmission: The virus spreads through oral-faecal route. Direct person-to-person contact can also transmit the virus.
Prevention: Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent polio. Two types of vaccines Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) and Oral polio vaccine (OPV) are available against polio virus.

Current Status:

Polio has been eradicated in most parts of the world, with only a few countries, notably Afghanistan and Pakistan reporting ongoing transmission.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the two countries in which the spread of polio has never been stopped.