LAHORE, April 11: The World Health Organization (WHO) has again warned of imposition of restrictions on travel to Pakistan if the country failed to check the menace of polio virus by end of the year.
“Pakistan will have to eradicate polio by December 2012 and in case of failure it may face problems in respect of traveling restrictions”, WHO Punjab National Consultant Dr Shafiqur Rehman told Dawn on Wednesday.
The WHO had declared Pakistan a high-risk country and set December 12 as cut-off date for eradication of the crippling disease, he added.
He said India had been receiving appreciation from international community since it achieved the target of polio eradication while Pakistan was still fighting the menace.
To a question about the mode of possible imposition of travel restrictions on Pakistan, Dr Rehman said the WHO could only forward the case to the World Health Assembly (WHA), its decision-making body, recommending initiation of the process of enforcing such curbs on a country.
“The traveling restrictions can be imposed through a simple majority in the annual WHA meeting”, he said.
There are 198 WHA member countries mostly represented by their health ministers.
Dr Rehman said, “Travel restrictions can be imposed on Pakistan under International Health Regulations if polio campaign remains weak in the country”. WHA meeting was expected in May this year, he added.
Meanwhile, addressing a meeting held on Wednesday to review arrangements made for the three-day anti-polio campaign to be launched on April 23, Dr Rehman emphasised the need for taking concrete measures to meet the polio eradication target.Special assistant to chief minister on health Khwaja Salman Rafique, Lahore DCO Noorul Ameen Mengal, Health EDO Dr Inamul Haq and other officials attended the meeting.
Highlighting gravity of the situation, Dr Rehman said of the 40 polio cases reported all over the world this year, 15 had been confirmed in Pakistan alone.
He also discussed importance of implementing the National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP) aiming at eradicating polio from the country by the end of this year in its letter and spirit.
EDO Dr Inamul Haq gave a presentation on the preparations made with regard to the upcoming three-day anti-polio drive.
He told the meeting that 2,511 mobile teams would vaccinate around 1.4 million children in Lahore. Similarly, he said around 81 zonal supervisors and 415 area in charges would monitor 236 sites, while 80 camps would be set up for polio immunisation. He said health officials would go door-to-door to administer anti-polio vaccine to children.
Stressing the need for making coordinated efforts against the disease, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that all Ulema, teachers and members of civil society, besides other major stakeholders like health department, should work together to make the campaign a success.
He said the government would also involve elected members for making the drive successful.
