Pakistan: Eighth child reported paralysed as polio outbreak in country worsens

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the two remaining countries in the world where polio is still categorised as an endemic viral infection. Of late, the situation in Pakistan has worsened.The Guardian report stated that eight polio cases have now been reported in children over the past month in the North Waziristan district, which is near the border of Afghanistan.Authorities are concerned over the recent surge because the reported cases are the first cases in more than a year. The Guardian reported that the last case of child paralysis as a result of polio was reported in January last year.

"The cases are highlighting exactly where the challenges lie, and we are doing our utmost to ensure that the virus remains contained and we fight it till the end," said Shahzad Baig as quoted by the media outlet. He is the national programme coordinator.

As per the officials, the recent outbreak is probably due to parents falsely marking themselves and their children as vaccinated. The region is also a former Taliban stronghold in northwest Pakistan. In the particular region, high rate vaccine refusal rates have been reported. Officials think that is also one of the reasons.

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As quoted, an official of Pakistan's polio eradication programme said, "Fake markings and refusals are two key reasons in the recent outbreak, with polio staff conspiring with parents to miss the vaccination."

He referred to how parents suspicious of immunisation have got hold of special pens used by health workers to mark vaccinated children's fingers, the report added.

Federal Health Minister, Abdul Qadir Patel said: "Following the first two cases in April, the polio programme took immediate steps to ringfence this area and prevent the virus from spreading further, particularly in the historic reservoirs (of infection) of Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta.

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