Prevailing Polio Situation in Pakistan and Possible Eradication Strategies against it
Author(s)
Sadia Nadeem Choudhary , Zuhaib Qadir , Sahar Qadir Bakhsh ,
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Abstract
Poliomyelitis is a serious health condition that can result in limb deformations, breathing difficulties, paralysis and even death. Although majority of the world’s countries have successfully eradicated polio, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria are still endemic to it. Today, Pakistan is recognized as the exporter of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) due to which World Health Organization (WHO) has imposed a travel ban on Pakistani citizens unless they receive a dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV) 1 to 12 months before international travel. In 2019, Pakistan reported 1125% increase in polio cases. By July 2020, the total number of reported WPV polio cases dropped to 60 whereas 47 cases of cVDPV2 polio were also reported from different provinces. Poor health systems, misconceptions regarding vaccine and socio-political insecurities have been the major challenges in eradicating polio from Pakistan. Low or delayed payments, lack of proper training, and attacks on polio workers have contributed more towards the spread of polio in certain areas of the country. Once eradicated, the world will expectedly generate around US$14 billion in cumulative cost saving by 2050. With strong commitment and good initiatives, we can expect to eradicate polio from the remaining countries soon
Keywords
Poliomyelitis, Pakistan, Wild polio virus, Challenges, Eradication
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