PESHAWAR, Oct 7: Various UN agencies this year gave Pakistan $75 million for oral polio vaccines (OPV) under specifications set forth by the International Expert Committee on Biological Standardisation (ECBS) of the WHO.

“We have been using the OPV and there is no scientific proof that it causes impotence or infertility in recipients,” said UN officials.

They said that the OPV had been procured by UN agencies, particularly by Unicef.

They said that vaccines had been effective in controlling polio in the country which had recorded 25,000 cases of the disease in 1994, 558 in 1999, 28 in 2005, 39 in 2006 and only 13 this year.

“Specifications make it impossible for oestrogen and progesterone to carry any other undeclared biological active substances such as viruses, hormones and other arterials,” they said.

A fresh three-day anti-polio drive will be launched on October 30 targeting 32 million children countrywide.

Federal and provincial health authorities have formed 75,000 teams to immunize children.

In the NWFP and Balochistan, where polio teams counter a major challenge of accessibility into homes, more female vaccinators have recently been recruited.

According to the guidelines each team must have at least one female vaccinator to facilitate access into homes in order to reach infants.

Health officials said that about 80 per cent districts in the country had not reported any case this year, which meant that Pakistan was close to eradication of the disease.

Pakistan, they said, was among four endemic countries along India, Nigeria and Afghanistan, which according to WHO was responsible for transportation of the polio virus to countries which had been declared polio-free.

“The next round is extremely crucial. The people should vaccinate their children to save them from permanent disability in future,” they said adding that the Peshawar High Court had already dismissed a petition stating that OPV caused impotency and infertility.

A WHO official said that 10 billion doses of the OPV had been administered to children since its launching 20 years ago and no case of infertility or impotency had been reported so far.

He said several fatwas had been issued by Muslim scholars declaring polio vaccination safe for children.

He said those issued fatwas are: the grand Imam of Jamia Al Azhar, head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, the Mufti of Egypt, Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi, and several prominent scholars from Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Mauritania, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Commenting on the difference polio drives have made, he said: “The country would have had around 20,000 cases annually if we were not doing these campaigns.”

Recently Saudi Arabia, taking cognizance of the presence of polio virus in Pakistan as a result of refusal to vaccination by certain elements has directed that all intending pilgrims hailing from Pakistan must be given polio drops irrespective of age.The measure would ensure that the polio virus does not enter Saudi Arabia; a county declared polio free more than 10 years ago.

Similar orders have also been issued to the governments of India and Afghanistan.