Five fresh polio cases were detected in Pakistan prompting fears that country’s citizens may face travel ban for its government’s failure to curb the spread of poliovirus.
Islamabad, April 30/Nationalturk – In a worrying factor, five fresh polio cases were detected in Pakistan and country is likely to face travel restrictions from the World Health Organisation’s International Health Regulatory (IHR) Emergency Committee for its failure to curb the spread of poliovirus.
Pakistan’s National Institute of Health has confirmed that five fresh cases of polio have been detected in three different areas of North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Bannu.
The health officials said children were affected by the polio virus. “Identities of the patients were being ascertained”.
They said 56 polio cases have been reported in different areas of the country so far this year, which is a worrying sign.
Pakistani citizens may face travel ban
The detection of new polio cases coincide with a meeting of WHOs health committee in Geneva where a report into polio situation in Pakistan was presented, triggering fears of travel ban on Islamabad.
“The IHR Emergency Committee has been constituted by the WHO to review the status of polio-affected countries in order to give recommendations to Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO’s Director-General, regarding the possibility of imposing restrictions on Pakistan,” an official working at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) was quoted as saying by Pakistan newspaper, Express Tribune.
The committee conducted teleconference meetings from Geneva with the representatives of governments from polio-affected countries over two days.
Officials in Pakistan said there is a serious threat that members of the WHO committee will recommend to Dr Chan that travel restrictions be imposed on Pakistan.
All the decisions take by the committee are legally binding.
Pakistan’s Minister of State for the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar was quoted as saying by Pakistani newspaper that any travel restrictions on Pakistani citizens would discourage all stakeholders involved in eradicating polio from the country.
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