LAHORE: Senior medical experts and office-bearers of major medical organisations have warned of serious risk of polio outbreak in Pakistan due to persistence of the virus in the environment of the most populous cities of the country.

Quoting some recent studies, reports and data, the experts termed the repeatedly positive reports of sewer samples, particularly in Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi, besides migration of children along with IDPs from North Waziristan, major factors which could result in polio outbreak in Pakistan.

“Pakistan might have to face stricter restrictions and humiliation if coordinated efforts were not made to stop this crippling disease from transforming into epidemic by using all available resources”, Prof Dr Tanvirul Hassan Zubairi, member of an international advisory group on polio eradication -- WHO-EMRO, told Dawn.

Global signature drive launched to sensitise stakeholders

A member of the National Advisory Group on Polio in Pakistan, Dr Zubairi is also president of Federation of Islamic Medical Associations.

Eight major medical bodies of the country launched on Thursday a global drive to get signatures of maximum number of local as well as foreign Pakistani doctors to sensitise them and other stakeholders on polio outbreak threat to Pakistan.

The drive is aimed at bringing thousands of doctors, local as well as those belonging to other Islamic countries, on a platform to prevent the outbreak in Pakistan.

The experts who joined hands for the drive included Dr Asif Kaleem of Pediatric Pakistan Association, Dr Izhar Chaudhry of Punjab Chapter of Pakistan Medical Association, Prof Dr Fakharuz Zaman of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association, Dr Nazar Murshid of Specialist Doctors Association Punjab, Dr Tariq Mian of Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians etc.

National Immunization Technical Advisory Group chairman Prof Dr Tariq Bhutta and Children’s Hospital Lahore former Dean Prof Dr Tahir Masood are also among those who joined the drive.

“Obsolete potable water supply system in thousands of schools in Pakistan is prone to sewage contamination which could be a major factor in polio outbreak,” Dr Zubairi said.

Similarly, he said, a large number of school buildings were located along open drains, exposing more and more children to the risk of catching the crippling disease.

“Recent data from a Harvard University poll shows that 95pc of the parents in Pakistan want polio workers to vaccinate their children, and accept the vaccine when it is offered”, he said.

Meanwhile, talking to the media at the Lahore Press Club on Thursday, the medical experts said unfortunately the disease was not only present in Pakistan, rather it was assuming alarming proportions. As many as 209 cases have been reported in 2014, the worst in a decade.

Dr Zubairi said 95pc of Pakistani territory was already free of polio while the leftover reservoirs were in the FATA, KP and Gaddap area of Karachi. Recently, the virus has been detected in Lahore, Chakwal, Ghakkar and some other areas of the country, which is a sign of imminent threat of polio spread.

“We currently have a historic opportunity to eliminate a disease that has plagued children for too long as today cases of polio are down more than 99 per cent worldwide”, Dr Zubairi said.

Dr Tariq Mian said that due to mass migration of un-vaccinated children from FATA to other parts of the country, there was a serious apprehension that the disease might spread to the areas where the IDPs would be lodging subsequently.

“Most of them (IDPs) are presently taking refuge in bordering districts of Bannu, Kohat and DI Khan while some have fled to belt along porous Afghanistan border”, he said, adding that a small number of these people had also mingled with local population in other cities.

He said because of the Zarb-i-Azb operation some 500,000 migrating children and adults had been vaccinated.

“Pakistan is the only country left in the world where the incidence of polio is on the rise and we are exporting this disease to other countries. Whereas Nigeria and Afghanistan, two of the three polio-endemic countries that have never stopped transmission of polio, have reported only six and 12 cases, respectively, as of October 2014”, Dr Mian said. Iraq and Syria had successfully curbed polio outbreaks even in the midst of conflict, he added.

He said Muslim physicians, scientists and Ulema (of various schools of thought) had deliberated on the issue and were unanimous that polio vaccine was safe, effective and harmless for children.

The medical experts have urged mass education with regard to the disease and its prevention.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2014