ISLAMABAD — Polio virus has been detected in the environmental sample in Karachi, capital of Sindh province in south Pakistan, the provincial Health Department said.
Since the beginning of this year, about 20 samples of the kind were found in the country’s east Punjab and northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces besides Karachi, where strict measures were taken to ensure vaccination for kids.
According to a Ministry of Health spokesman, this virus is genetically connected to the polio virus cluster in Afghanistan. Dr Nadeem Jan, Pakistan’s caretaker Minister of Health, stated that actions are being taken on an emergency basis to eradicate polio.
It was reported that on Monday (30 Oct), a five-day special anti-polio vaccination campaign began in 31 districts across all four provinces of Pakistan, after wild poliovirus Type-1 was discovered in sewage systems. 10 million children up to five years of age were vaccinated on their doorsteps.
Polio campaign
In the polio campaign, Nadeem urged parents to give their children polio drops to keep their children from becoming permanently disabled.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) in a recent report said that the risk of the international spread of poliovirus still remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
According to WHO, Pakistan is one of the only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic. There are no travel restrictions in Pakistan as of now. — Malaysiaxpress
