Pakistan,a polio endemic country, WHO extends travel curbs

Pakistan is polio-endemic country and for this reason the World Health Organization (WHO) has extended travel restrictions to Pakistan for another three months. The country is  being listed among the last polio-endemic countries, Daily Pakistan reported.  The 30th Polio IHR Emergency Committee noted the completion of the surveillance review in Pakistan which found a high likelihood that the current wild poliovirus (WPV1) detection is valid.

"The key challenge in Pakistan remains the 'persistently missed children' in the core reservoirs regarding which progress is being made through innovative approaches such as deploying evening vaccination teams, health camps, tracking of missed and not available children after the SIA is completed, dealing with refusals before the campaign starts and using pro-vaccination influencers," WHO said. Aside from Pakistan, the UN committee stated that Afghanistan failed to eradicate polio fully and may be responsible for the virus's global spread.The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV). Technical updates were received about the situation in the following State Parties: Afghanistan, China, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal and Ukraine.