<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../jk-issue-attempt-made-by-pakistan-through- china-to-misuse-unsc-platform-says-india-274661">Pakistan</a>&nbsp;says&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;will&nbsp;help&nbsp;the country in its&nbsp;fight&nbsp;against&nbsp;polio&nbsp;after authorities blamed anti-vaccine content posted last year on the social network site for a leap in the number of cases.

Pakistan&nbsp;is one of only three countries where&nbsp;polio&nbsp;has not been eradicated, but a years-long effort began to show fruit with a major drop in cases from 2016.

Also read-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-efforts-to-raise-kashmir-at-un-security-council-crumbled-once-again-274575">Pakistan efforts to raise Kashmir at UN Security Council crumbled once again</a>

By 2018 just 12 cases had been recorded, but to the dismay of Pakistani authorities and the World Health Organization, that number soared to 136 last year.&nbsp;

Pakistani officials quickly tied the surge to a slew of fake news reports and videos claiming many children had been killed by the vaccine that garnered thousands of views and shares on social media.&nbsp;

They called on&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;do more to remove harmful anti-vaccine content from the site, saying it was jeopardising eradication initiatives and putting the lives of&nbsp;polio&nbsp;workers at risk.&nbsp;

Health authorities later said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;had removed dozens such videos.

This week a delegation from the company visited Islamabad and reaffirmed their commitment to the campaign, a Pakistani government statement said.&nbsp;

"We stand behind the national and global efforts to create a&nbsp;polio-free world and will continue to support these efforts," Rafael Frankel, a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;regional director, was quoted as saying in a statement released by&nbsp;Pakistan's ministry of health.

Dr Zafar Mirza, a Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on health, highlighted the importance of communicating correct health information online and stressed "the need to counter harmful content on social media".

Facebook&nbsp;did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

Vaccination campaigns have faced stubborn resistance for years in&nbsp;Pakistan, with many refusing to have their children inoculated because of misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Islamist opposition to all forms of inoculation grew after the CIA organised a fake vaccination drive to&nbsp;help&nbsp;track down Al Qaeda's former leader Osama Bin Laden in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad.

As&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;tries to reach its goal of eliminating&nbsp;polio, the growing global movement&nbsp;against&nbsp;vaccinations -- fuelled by social media -- has presented a new challenge.

Afghanistan and Nigeria are the two other countries where the disease has not been entirely eradicated, although the latter is expected to be declared&nbsp;polio-free later this year.

Pakistan says Facebook will help the country in its fight against polio after authorities blamed anti-vaccine content posted last year on the social network site for a leap in the number of cases.

Pakistan says Facebook will help the country in its fight against polio after authorities blamed anti-vaccine content posted last year on the social network site for a leap in the number of cases. Pakistan is one of only three countries where polio has not been eradicated, but a years-long effort began to show fruit with a major drop in cases from 2016. Also read- Pakistan efforts to raise Kashmir at UN Security Council crumbled once again By 2018 just 12 cases had been recorded, but to the dismay of Pakistani authorities and the World Health Organization, that number soared to 136 last year. Pakistani officials quickly tied the surge to a slew of fake news reports and videos claiming many children had been killed by the vaccine that garnered thousands of views and shares on social media. They called on Facebook do more to remove harmful anti-vaccine content from the site, saying it was jeopardising eradication initiatives and putting the lives of polio workers at risk. Health authorities later said Facebook had removed dozens such videos. This week a delegation from the company visited Islamabad and reaffirmed their commitment to the campaign, a Pakistani government statement said. "We stand behind the national and global efforts to create a polio-free world and will continue to support these efforts," Rafael Frankel, a Facebook regional director, was quoted as saying in a statement released by Pakistan's ministry of health. Dr Zafar Mirza, a Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on health, highlighted the importance of communicating correct health information online and stressed "the need to counter harmful content on social media". Facebook did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. Vaccination campaigns have faced stubborn resistance for years in Pakistan, with many refusing to have their children inoculated because of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Islamist opposition to all forms of inoculation grew after the CIA organised a fake vaccination drive to help track down Al Qaeda's former leader Osama Bin Laden in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad. As Pakistan tries to reach its goal of eliminating polio, the growing global movement against vaccinations -- fuelled by social media -- has presented a new challenge. Afghanistan and Nigeria are the two other countries where the disease has not been entirely eradicated, although the latter is expected to be declared polio-free later this year.

Facebook to help in fight against polio: Pakistan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government has decided to allow a one-time import of polio markers from India.&nbsp;

The markers are used to mark the fingers of children after administering them polio vaccine and are approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Pakistan's cabinet has also decided to reduce the prices of 89 polio-related medicines by 15 per cent.&nbsp;

India and Pakistan had suspended all kinds of trade since August this year. In September, the Pak government lifted the ban on the import of medicines and raw materials from India.

Pakistan's polio eradication campaign has hit a major roadblock after an alarming spike in the number of polio cases, raising doubts over the quality of vaccination available in the country.&nbsp;

Officials have blamed the so-called 'fake' finger marker for their failed attempts to stop the crippling disease and have blamed China for providing low-quality markers.

India and China are the only two WHO pre-qualified manufacturers in the world.&nbsp;

In April, three polio workers were killed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region after rumoUrs on social media claimed that children were being poisoned by the vaccinations.

Pakistan is one of the only three countries in the world where polio is endemic besides Afghanistan and Nigeria.

While the vaccination drives have managed to cut the disease sharply, the latest jump in cases this year has become a cause of worry for health officials.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government has decided to allow a one-time import of polio markers from India. The markers are used to mark the fingers of children after administering them polio vaccine and are approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government has decided to allow a one-time import of polio markers from India. The markers are used to mark the fingers of children after administering them polio vaccine and are approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Pakistan's cabinet has also decided to reduce the prices of 89 polio-related medicines by 15 per cent. India and Pakistan had suspended all kinds of trade since August this year. In September, the Pak government lifted the ban on the import of medicines and raw materials from India. Pakistan's polio eradication campaign has hit a major roadblock after an alarming spike in the number of polio cases, raising doubts over the quality of vaccination available in the country. Officials have blamed the so-called 'fake' finger marker for their failed attempts to stop the crippling disease and have blamed China for providing low-quality markers. India and China are the only two WHO pre-qualified manufacturers in the world. In April, three polio workers were killed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region after rumoUrs on social media claimed that children were being poisoned by the vaccinations. Pakistan is one of the only three countries in the world where polio is endemic besides Afghanistan and Nigeria. While the vaccination drives have managed to cut the disease sharply, the latest jump in cases this year has become a cause of worry for health officials.

Pakistan to import polio markers from India

The federal cabinet on December 24 has decided to give one-time permission for import of polio markers from India and reduce prices of 89 medicines by 15 per cent. The markers, which are used to mark the fingers of children after administering them polio vaccine, are approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO). #Pakistan #India #WHO #PolioMarkers #Polio

Pakistan to import polio markers from India, price of 89 medicines reduced by 15%

A three-month-old <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/malaysia-ruling-party-makes-fresh-push-for-anwar-to-take-over-as-pm-266959">Malaysian infant</a> has been diagnosed with polio, the first case reported in the country in nearly three decades, a top health official said on Sunday.

The baby boy from Tuaran in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island tested positive for polio on Friday after being admitted to hospital with a fever and muscle weakness, Director General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement.

"The patient is being treated in an isolation ward and is in stable condition, but still requires assistance to breathe," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/malaysia-pushes-for-two-term-limit-for-prime-ministers-265975">Malaysia was declared polio-free in 2000</a>, after reporting its last known case of the disease in 1992. Its resurgence comes just months after the Philippines, north of Borneo, reported its first cases of polio since 1993 in September.

Noor Hisham said tests showed the child was infected with a polio strain that shared genetic links with the virus detected in the Philippine cases.

Checks in the area where the baby lived showed 23 of 199 children between 2 and 15 had not received the polio vaccine, he said.

"This is a worrying situation as the spread of the disease ... can only be stopped with polio immunisation," he said, adding vaccination rates needed to be above 95% to prevent infection.

There is no cure for polio, which invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours, but it can be prevented with vaccines.

The virus spreads rapidly among children, especially in unsanitary conditions in underdeveloped or war-torn regions where healthcare access is limited.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last countries where the disease is endemic.

Noor Hisham said faecal samples from the infected child's close contacts and his surroundings had been collected in a bid to detect the poliovirus.

The authorities have also stepped up monitoring of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases, a common sign of acute polio, he said.

Noor Hisham advised parents to ensure their children were fully vaccinated.

In recent years, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/six-malaysians-muslims-handed-jail-terms-for-skipping-friday-prayers-266178">Malaysia has faced a challenge</a> convincing some parents to immunise their children. In 2016, five children died from diphtheria, a vaccine-preventable disease, prompting an outcry&nbsp;among health officials.

A three-month-old Malaysian infant has been diagnosed with polio, the first case reported in the country in nearly three decades, a top health official said on Sunday.

A three-month-old Malaysian infant has been diagnosed with polio, the first case reported in the country in nearly three decades, a top health official said on Sunday. The baby boy from Tuaran in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island tested positive for polio on Friday after being admitted to hospital with a fever and muscle weakness, Director General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement. "The patient is being treated in an isolation ward and is in stable condition, but still requires assistance to breathe," he said. Malaysia was declared polio-free in 2000, after reporting its last known case of the disease in 1992. Its resurgence comes just months after the Philippines, north of Borneo, reported its first cases of polio since 1993 in September. Noor Hisham said tests showed the child was infected with a polio strain that shared genetic links with the virus detected in the Philippine cases. Checks in the area where the baby lived showed 23 of 199 children between 2 and 15 had not received the polio vaccine, he said. "This is a worrying situation as the spread of the disease ... can only be stopped with polio immunisation," he said, adding vaccination rates needed to be above 95% to prevent infection. There is no cure for polio, which invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours, but it can be prevented with vaccines. The virus spreads rapidly among children, especially in unsanitary conditions in underdeveloped or war-torn regions where healthcare access is limited. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last countries where the disease is endemic. Noor Hisham said faecal samples from the infected child's close contacts and his surroundings had been collected in a bid to detect the poliovirus. The authorities have also stepped up monitoring of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases, a common sign of acute polio, he said. Noor Hisham advised parents to ensure their children were fully vaccinated. In recent years, Malaysia has faced a challenge convincing some parents to immunise their children. In 2016, five children died from diphtheria, a vaccine-preventable disease, prompting an outcry among health officials.

Malaysia records first case of polio after three decades

The number of polio cases in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-asks-iraq-pakistan-to-speak-to-iran-about-defusing-tensions-254051">Pakistan</a> climbed to 72 this year with three new cases registered in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, authorities said on Saturday. 
 
In Sindh, a 17-month-old girl from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/whosoever-comes-to-kartarpur-is-our-guest-says-pakistan-prime-ministers-special-adviser-253969">Karachi's</a> Orangi Town became the latest victim of polio, bringing the total number of cases in the city to four and eighth such case across the province, The Express Tribune reported. 
 
The Emergency Operation Centre for Polio in Sindh said that the child developed a fever and slight weakness in the right leg after which she was taken to the doctors. 
 
The case was classified as acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) following which she was tested positive for the poliovirus, it added. 
 
Meanwhile, the Balochistan Health Department said that the total number of polio cases in the province had reached six this year after a 15-month-old boy was diagnosed with the disease. 
 
According to the victim's parents, the infant from Jaffarabad felt weakness in his legs and became paralysed after suffering from high fever. 
 
The Emergency Polio Centre has also kicked off a special polio vaccination campaign after a recent spike in the cases and officials are optimistic to control the epidemic. 
 
A 21-month-old boy was diagnosed with the deadly disease in Hazara division's Torghar district, raising the total number of such cases to 53 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. 
 
As per the country-wide figures, 72 polio cases have been reported during the current year including 53 cases from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, six from Balochistan and five from Punjab. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-approves-tax-relief-for-gwadar-port-254040">Prime Minister Imran Khan</a>, last month, expressed serious concern over the recent spike in polio cases in the country and directed federal and provincial government officials to undertake effective awareness and immunisation campaigns to eliminate the disease.

The number of polio cases in Pakistan climbed to 72 this year with three new cases registered in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, authorities said on Saturday.

The number of polio cases in Pakistan climbed to 72 this year with three new cases registered in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, authorities said on Saturday. In Sindh, a 17-month-old girl from Karachi's Orangi Town became the latest victim of polio, bringing the total number of cases in the city to four and eighth such case across the province, The Express Tribune reported. The Emergency Operation Centre for Polio in Sindh said that the child developed a fever and slight weakness in the right leg after which she was taken to the doctors. The case was classified as acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) following which she was tested positive for the poliovirus, it added. Meanwhile, the Balochistan Health Department said that the total number of polio cases in the province had reached six this year after a 15-month-old boy was diagnosed with the disease. According to the victim's parents, the infant from Jaffarabad felt weakness in his legs and became paralysed after suffering from high fever. The Emergency Polio Centre has also kicked off a special polio vaccination campaign after a recent spike in the cases and officials are optimistic to control the epidemic. A 21-month-old boy was diagnosed with the deadly disease in Hazara division's Torghar district, raising the total number of such cases to 53 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. As per the country-wide figures, 72 polio cases have been reported during the current year including 53 cases from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, six from Balochistan and five from Punjab. Prime Minister Imran Khan, last month, expressed serious concern over the recent spike in polio cases in the country and directed federal and provincial government officials to undertake effective awareness and immunisation campaigns to eliminate the disease.

Pakistan: 72 cases of polio registered

The Philippines recorded its second case of polio on Friday, as it prepared to vaccinate millions of children against a disease believed to have been eradicated two decades ago.

A five-year-old boy in Laguna, south of the capital Manila, tested positive for the polio virus, the Health Department said, the second case this week after a three-year-old girl was confirmed to be infected on Monday in a province about 1,400 km away.

Health officials appealed to parents and caregivers of children to take part in the government's Polio Vaccination Programme, which comes as the Philippines grapples to tackle twin outbreaks of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-suspends-worlds-first-dengue-vaccine-25587">dengue</a> and measles that have killed more than 1,000 people since January, most of them children.

"The polio vaccinations happen all year round, but our coverage dropped for the past five years", Rolando Enrique Domingo, an undersecretary of the Department of Health, told Reuters.

"We've learned our lesson. It is time to move on and really start vaccinating all kids and make sure we sustain this every year", he added.

The polio virus was detected in the sewage systems of Davao in a nearby province two months ago, and in Tondo, a rundown area of Metro Manila notorious for slum communities, Domingo said.

Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan are the last three countries where the disease is endemic. The last known case in the Philippines had been in 1993, the World Health Organization says.

Immunisation coverage in the Philippines is at 70%, below the recommended rate of 95%, Domingo said, as trust in vaccines declines.

The boy who tested positive in Laguna has been discharged from hospital already, officials said on Friday. The other case was confirmed on Monday and reported on Thursday in Lanao del Sur, one of the country's poorest provinces.

Vaccination teams will aim to administer polio drops to every child younger than five, he added.

There is no cure for polio, which invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours, but it can be prevented with vaccines.

The virus spreads rapidly among children, especially in unsanitary conditions in underdeveloped or war-torn regions where healthcare access is limited.

Children nationwide are at risk as long as a single child remains infected, the United Nations agency for children, UNICEF, has said.

The Philippines has faced a challenge recently in convincing parents to vaccinate children after it scrapped a dengue immunisation programme using Sanofi's Dengvaxia in late 2017, following its linkage to child deaths.

More than 800,000 children received the vaccine. The records of 119 dead children are being examined to determine if Dengvaxia was to blame, a panel of medical experts said in March.

The inquiry continues and Sanofi has repeatedly said that its vaccine is safe.

A vaccine campaign that started in August in the historic heart of Manila will be expanded to cover more than 5 million children and will go nationwide next year, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said in a speech on Friday.

The Philippines recorded its second case of polio on Friday, as it prepared to vaccinate millions of children against a disease believed to have been eradicated two decades ago.

The Philippines recorded its second case of polio on Friday, as it prepared to vaccinate millions of children against a disease believed to have been eradicated two decades ago. A five-year-old boy in Laguna, south of the capital Manila, tested positive for the polio virus, the Health Department said, the second case this week after a three-year-old girl was confirmed to be infected on Monday in a province about 1,400 km away. Health officials appealed to parents and caregivers of children to take part in the government's Polio Vaccination Programme, which comes as the Philippines grapples to tackle twin outbreaks of dengue and measles that have killed more than 1,000 people since January, most of them children. "The polio vaccinations happen all year round, but our coverage dropped for the past five years", Rolando Enrique Domingo, an undersecretary of the Department of Health, told Reuters. "We've learned our lesson. It is time to move on and really start vaccinating all kids and make sure we sustain this every year", he added. The polio virus was detected in the sewage systems of Davao in a nearby province two months ago, and in Tondo, a rundown area of Metro Manila notorious for slum communities, Domingo said. Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan are the last three countries where the disease is endemic. The last known case in the Philippines had been in 1993, the World Health Organization says. Immunisation coverage in the Philippines is at 70%, below the recommended rate of 95%, Domingo said, as trust in vaccines declines. The boy who tested positive in Laguna has been discharged from hospital already, officials said on Friday. The other case was confirmed on Monday and reported on Thursday in Lanao del Sur, one of the country's poorest provinces. Vaccination teams will aim to administer polio drops to every child younger than five, he added. There is no cure for polio, which invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours, but it can be prevented with vaccines. The virus spreads rapidly among children, especially in unsanitary conditions in underdeveloped or war-torn regions where healthcare access is limited. Children nationwide are at risk as long as a single child remains infected, the United Nations agency for children, UNICEF, has said. The Philippines has faced a challenge recently in convincing parents to vaccinate children after it scrapped a dengue immunisation programme using Sanofi's Dengvaxia in late 2017, following its linkage to child deaths. More than 800,000 children received the vaccine. The records of 119 dead children are being examined to determine if Dengvaxia was to blame, a panel of medical experts said in March. The inquiry continues and Sanofi has repeatedly said that its vaccine is safe. A vaccine campaign that started in August in the historic heart of Manila will be expanded to cover more than 5 million children and will go nationwide next year, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said in a speech on Friday.

Philippines to vaccinate millions as Polio virus resurfaces in two children

Afghanistan, one of the last countries in the world where polio is still endemic, has registered its 10th case this year, with most coming in southern regions where Taliban militants have wide control, a senior health official said on Wednesday.

A 21-month-old girl in the south central province of Uruzgan had been left partly paralyzed by the disease after her parents refused permission for her to receive vaccination.

She was the 10th case registered so far this year, compared with 21 for the whole of 2018.

"Our health teams visited the family several times, but unfortunately the family denied (permission) for the child to take the vaccine," said Khan Aqa Miakhel, health director of Uruzgan province.

Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria are the last three countries in the world where polio is endemic with efforts to eradicate the disease in Afghanistan complicated by the violence across much of the country and by the refusal of some communities to accept vaccination programmes.

Hedayatullah Stanekzai, the health ministry`s point person on polio, said that out of some 9 million children eligible for vaccination, around 860,000 had not been administered polio drops in 2018, mainly due to security threats.

"We have full preparation and facilities to run a vaccine campaign in the whole country but due to security threats, we can`t send our campaigners to the Taliban-controlled and other insurgent areas," he said.

A Taliban ban on the Red Cross (ICRC) and World Health Organization operating in areas under their control had made the work of prevention more difficult and there was a risk that the disease could break out in other areas, he said.

Many health workers administering the vaccines were women, able to gain greater access to families in very conservative areas of the country and their safety was a key concern.

"We are deeply concerned about the Taliban`s ban on WHO and ICRC`s activities," he said.&nbsp;

"If the ban is not lifted soon the polio virus will spread out to the areas which were cleaned in past 18 years," he said.

Stanekzai said officials were talking to communities in Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces.

"We are in contact with tribal elders and people to find a solution for the problem, but we hope the anti-polio campaigns are not taken hostage by the warring sides for political purposes."

Afghanistan, one of the last countries in the world where polio is still endemic, has registered its 10th case this year, with most coming in southern regions where Taliban militants have wide control, a senior health official said on Wednesday.

Afghanistan, one of the last countries in the world where polio is still endemic, has registered its 10th case this year, with most coming in southern regions where Taliban militants have wide control, a senior health official said on Wednesday. A 21-month-old girl in the south central province of Uruzgan had been left partly paralyzed by the disease after her parents refused permission for her to receive vaccination. She was the 10th case registered so far this year, compared with 21 for the whole of 2018. "Our health teams visited the family several times, but unfortunately the family denied (permission) for the child to take the vaccine," said Khan Aqa Miakhel, health director of Uruzgan province. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria are the last three countries in the world where polio is endemic with efforts to eradicate the disease in Afghanistan complicated by the violence across much of the country and by the refusal of some communities to accept vaccination programmes. Hedayatullah Stanekzai, the health ministry`s point person on polio, said that out of some 9 million children eligible for vaccination, around 860,000 had not been administered polio drops in 2018, mainly due to security threats. "We have full preparation and facilities to run a vaccine campaign in the whole country but due to security threats, we can`t send our campaigners to the Taliban-controlled and other insurgent areas," he said. A Taliban ban on the Red Cross (ICRC) and World Health Organization operating in areas under their control had made the work of prevention more difficult and there was a risk that the disease could break out in other areas, he said. Many health workers administering the vaccines were women, able to gain greater access to families in very conservative areas of the country and their safety was a key concern. "We are deeply concerned about the Taliban`s ban on WHO and ICRC`s activities," he said. "If the ban is not lifted soon the polio virus will spread out to the areas which were cleaned in past 18 years," he said. Stanekzai said officials were talking to communities in Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces. "We are in contact with tribal elders and people to find a solution for the problem, but we hope the anti-polio campaigns are not taken hostage by the warring sides for political purposes."

Afghanistan records 10th polio case in 2019 as security worsens: Officials

A polio officer was killed by unidentified gunmen on Sunday in a tribal district of northwest Pakistan.&nbsp;

The 35-year-old official, Abdullah Jan, was on way to his home when the gunmen opened fire on him in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur district near Pak-Afghan border, police said.

He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The administration has started an investigation into the incident to know about the causes behind the murder.

Pakistan is one of the three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where polio is still endemic.

Militant groups have killed nearly 100 polio workers and their guards since 2012 on the pretext that they could be Western spies.&nbsp;

A polio officer was killed by unidentified gunmen on Sunday in a tribal district of northwest Pakistan. The 35-year-old official, Abdullah Jan, was on way to his home when the gunmen opened fire on him in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur district near Pak-Afghan border, police said.

A polio officer was killed by unidentified gunmen on Sunday in a tribal district of northwest Pakistan. The 35-year-old official, Abdullah Jan, was on way to his home when the gunmen opened fire on him in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur district near Pak-Afghan border, police said. He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The administration has started an investigation into the incident to know about the causes behind the murder. Pakistan is one of the three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where polio is still endemic. Militant groups have killed nearly 100 polio workers and their guards since 2012 on the pretext that they could be Western spies.

Polio officer killed by gunmen in northwest Pakistan

His bearded face was half-covered by a shawl, but Hameedullah Khan's fear and ignorance was on full display as he delivered a chilling message for anyone who tries to vaccinate his children against polio.

"I will stab anyone who comes to my house with polio drops," Khan growled, refusing to be filmed or photographed as he shopped in a fly-blown bazaar on the outskirts of Peshawar, a city scarred by years on the frontline of Islamist militancy in Pakistan.

This dangerous<a href="Pakistan suspends polio drive after security threats to workers"> hostility to immunisation teams</a> flared last week after religious hardliners in the city spread false rumours, raising a scare on social media that some children were being poisoned and dying from contaminated polio vaccines.

The rumours spread like wildfire, triggering mass panic in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Mobs burned a village health centre, blocked a highway and pelted cars with stones. Medical workers were harassed and threatened.

Mosques made announcements that children were having cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea after they were given "poisonous" polio drops. Word went out on social media that some children had died.

Panicked parents rushed their children to hospitals, overwhelming health authorities. In Peshawar alone, about 45,000 children were brought to hospitals complaining of nausea and dizziness. Officials described it as mass hysteria, asserting there had been no deaths confirmed.

Killed by militants

It is easy to feed the fears of communities that feel under siege, as in northwest Pakistan.

Mistrust of outsiders and modernity goes a long way to explaining why Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are two of just three countries in the world - Nigeria is the third - where polio remains endemic.

Some Muslim clerics have peddled stories that the vaccines are part of Western plot to make Muslims sterile, while militant groups have killed nearly 100 health workers and their guards since 2012 on the pretext that they could be Western spies.

Those killings escalated after a doctor in Peshawar involved in the campaign against polio helped US&nbsp;forces track down and eliminate al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011.

Just late week, militants shot and killed a medical worker and two policemen guarding other vaccination teams in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighbouring Baluchistan province.

But the scale of the most recent backlash against a campaign to eradicate polio is something new for government officials, who worry that the suspicions and backward thinking of a hardline minority has infected the wider public.

"The mistrust in one segment of society, that refuses vaccinations due to religious beliefs, is translating into the rest of the country, which is something not seen in the past," Babar Atta, the government's top coordinator in the drive against polio, told Reuters.

Every year Pakistan's government mounts public education campaigns and recruits Muslim religious leaders to reassure people, but their suspicions persist.

As a result of last week's false rumours, families of hundreds of thousands of children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and elsewhere refused to participate in the latest campaign to eradicate a virus that can cause paralysis or death.

"No drops for us in the future!," Saif-ur-Rehman, a father of eight, repeating the rumours that the vaccines were contaminated or expired.

"Even my son was saying: 'The next time they bring polio drops to school, I am going to get up and run away from school'. I said, 'Do that'."

Playing dead

An inquiry found the false stories originated at two schools on the outskirts of Peshawar. Health workers seeking to vaccinate pupils from the Dar-ul-Qalam and Roza-tul-Atfaal schools had met with repeated refusals, according to provincial officials.

Investigators also identified and arrested a man seen in a video telling dozens of children to pose as if the vaccine had rendered them unconscious, Farooq Jameel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's senior-most health official, said.

Police also arrested 16 other men, some of whom had threatened vaccination teams on the streets.

A provincial leader of a conservative Islamist party that officials suspected had some links to the schools' owners denied any connection and went on to endorse the immunization programme.

"I have been vaccinating my own children and will continue to give them polio vaccine till a certain age, but people have some misconception and doubts about polio vaccine, and the government needs to address their concerns," Abdul Wasey, secretary-general of Jamat-e-Islami Pakistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Reuters.

But the damage has been done.

Pakistan has made huge strides in tackling polio, but officials say that while the latest immunization drive succeeded in inoculating 37.6 million children, 1.4 million were left unprotected.

Citing fears of attacks on health workers, authorities called off a two-day catch up for the vaccination drive last week.

The global campaign against the disease over the past few decades has been a great success story, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting just 33 cases of polio worldwide in 2018.

But most of them were in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the danger is that so long as a single child remains infected the virus can quickly spread into polio-free countries and un-immunized populations.

There is no known cure for polio, but the disease can be prevented if children are given multiple treatments with the vaccine.

Nadia Gul, a housewife, is among the volunteer health workers who make up the vaccination teams. Two children in her close family are victims of polio.

Covering her face with a veil to talk with strangers, Gul spoke of the dangers she faces due to the heinous slurs propagated by ill-educated opponents, but she refuses to be cowed.

"We have fears in our minds and in our hearts, but we will not lose courage," Gul told Reuters. "Our aim, the aim of all the polio workers, is that we end this scourge in our country, so that no child, God forbid, is crippled."

His bearded face was half-covered by a shawl, but Hameedullah Khan's fear and ignorance was on full display as he delivered a chilling message for anyone who tries to vaccinate his children against polio.

His bearded face was half-covered by a shawl, but Hameedullah Khan's fear and ignorance was on full display as he delivered a chilling message for anyone who tries to vaccinate his children against polio. "I will stab anyone who comes to my house with polio drops," Khan growled, refusing to be filmed or photographed as he shopped in a fly-blown bazaar on the outskirts of Peshawar, a city scarred by years on the frontline of Islamist militancy in Pakistan. This dangerous hostility to immunisation teams flared last week after religious hardliners in the city spread false rumours, raising a scare on social media that some children were being poisoned and dying from contaminated polio vaccines. The rumours spread like wildfire, triggering mass panic in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Mobs burned a village health centre, blocked a highway and pelted cars with stones. Medical workers were harassed and threatened. Mosques made announcements that children were having cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea after they were given "poisonous" polio drops. Word went out on social media that some children had died. Panicked parents rushed their children to hospitals, overwhelming health authorities. In Peshawar alone, about 45,000 children were brought to hospitals complaining of nausea and dizziness. Officials described it as mass hysteria, asserting there had been no deaths confirmed. Killed by militants It is easy to feed the fears of communities that feel under siege, as in northwest Pakistan. Mistrust of outsiders and modernity goes a long way to explaining why Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are two of just three countries in the world - Nigeria is the third - where polio remains endemic. Some Muslim clerics have peddled stories that the vaccines are part of Western plot to make Muslims sterile, while militant groups have killed nearly 100 health workers and their guards since 2012 on the pretext that they could be Western spies. Those killings escalated after a doctor in Peshawar involved in the campaign against polio helped US forces track down and eliminate al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011. Just late week, militants shot and killed a medical worker and two policemen guarding other vaccination teams in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighbouring Baluchistan province. But the scale of the most recent backlash against a campaign to eradicate polio is something new for government officials, who worry that the suspicions and backward thinking of a hardline minority has infected the wider public. "The mistrust in one segment of society, that refuses vaccinations due to religious beliefs, is translating into the rest of the country, which is something not seen in the past," Babar Atta, the government's top coordinator in the drive against polio, told Reuters. Every year Pakistan's government mounts public education campaigns and recruits Muslim religious leaders to reassure people, but their suspicions persist. As a result of last week's false rumours, families of hundreds of thousands of children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and elsewhere refused to participate in the latest campaign to eradicate a virus that can cause paralysis or death. "No drops for us in the future!," Saif-ur-Rehman, a father of eight, repeating the rumours that the vaccines were contaminated or expired. "Even my son was saying: 'The next time they bring polio drops to school, I am going to get up and run away from school'. I said, 'Do that'." Playing dead An inquiry found the false stories originated at two schools on the outskirts of Peshawar. Health workers seeking to vaccinate pupils from the Dar-ul-Qalam and Roza-tul-Atfaal schools had met with repeated refusals, according to provincial officials. Investigators also identified and arrested a man seen in a video telling dozens of children to pose as if the vaccine had rendered them unconscious, Farooq Jameel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's senior-most health official, said. Police also arrested 16 other men, some of whom had threatened vaccination teams on the streets. A provincial leader of a conservative Islamist party that officials suspected had some links to the schools' owners denied any connection and went on to endorse the immunization programme. "I have been vaccinating my own children and will continue to give them polio vaccine till a certain age, but people have some misconception and doubts about polio vaccine, and the government needs to address their concerns," Abdul Wasey, secretary-general of Jamat-e-Islami Pakistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Reuters. But the damage has been done. Pakistan has made huge strides in tackling polio, but officials say that while the latest immunization drive succeeded in inoculating 37.6 million children, 1.4 million were left unprotected. Citing fears of attacks on health workers, authorities called off a two-day catch up for the vaccination drive last week. The global campaign against the disease over the past few decades has been a great success story, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting just 33 cases of polio worldwide in 2018. But most of them were in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the danger is that so long as a single child remains infected the virus can quickly spread into polio-free countries and un-immunized populations. There is no known cure for polio, but the disease can be prevented if children are given multiple treatments with the vaccine. Nadia Gul, a housewife, is among the volunteer health workers who make up the vaccination teams. Two children in her close family are victims of polio. Covering her face with a veil to talk with strangers, Gul spoke of the dangers she faces due to the heinous slurs propagated by ill-educated opponents, but she refuses to be cowed. "We have fears in our minds and in our hearts, but we will not lose courage," Gul told Reuters. "Our aim, the aim of all the polio workers, is that we end this scourge in our country, so that no child, God forbid, is crippled."

Monstrous rumours stoke hostility to Pakistan's anti-polio drive

Gunmen shot and killed a female polio vaccinator on Thursday, the fourth this week in the latest surge of violence against efforts to rid the world of the crippling childhood disease, an official said.

Polio workers have come under attack in some parts of the world including <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/west-asia/iran-has-suffered-from-terrorists-operating-from-pakistan-imran-khan-to-president-rouhani-212892&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjbzo-bsevhAhXC6XMBHd8BCt4QFjADegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2K_PndZGeRuHPzouWDbYbo">Pakistan </a>where hardline clerics and militants say the polio vaccine is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslims and campaign workers are Western spies.

On Monday, some mosques in the northwestern city of Peshawar broadcast false reports that the vaccine had made children sick sparking panic among worried parents who took thousands of children to hospitals and clinics.

In the latest attack on vaccination workers, two gunmen on a motorcycle attacked a team in the Chaman district, on the southwestern border with Afghanistan, said government official Samiullah Agha.

"One of the polio workers, Rashida Bibi, who was around 20, died and another of her colleagues was critically wounded," Agha told Reuters by telephone.

No one has yet claimed responsibility.

Two police officers guarding polio teams were killed in separate incidents in the northwest this week, while another polio worker was stabbed to death in the eastern city of Lahore.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), polio has been all but wiped out across the world following a sustained vaccination campaign, with only 22 cases reported in 2017 against more than 350,000 in 1988.

Pakistan is one of the only three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, that suffers from endemic polio, a virus that can cause paralysis or death.

Pakistan has reported four cases this year.

There is no known cure but the disease can be prevented if children are given multiple treatments with the polio vaccine, the WHO says. Polio remains a global threat because as long as a single child remains infected, the virus can spread into polio-free countries and unimmunized populations.

The government mounts public education campaigns and recruits Muslim religious leaders to reassure people that the vaccine only protects their children but suspicion of immunization persists.

Efforts to build trust suffered a setback in 2011 when a Pakistani doctor believed to have been helping the U.S. CIA was accused of using a fake vaccination campaign to collect DNA samples in the hunt for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Bin Laden was killed in a raid by US&nbsp;special forces in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad. Authorities arrested and jailed the doctor.

Gunmen shot and killed a female polio vaccinator on Thursday, the fourth this week in the latest surge of violence against efforts to rid the world of the crippling childhood disease, an official said.

Gunmen shot and killed a female polio vaccinator on Thursday, the fourth this week in the latest surge of violence against efforts to rid the world of the crippling childhood disease, an official said. Polio workers have come under attack in some parts of the world including Pakistan where hardline clerics and militants say the polio vaccine is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslims and campaign workers are Western spies. On Monday, some mosques in the northwestern city of Peshawar broadcast false reports that the vaccine had made children sick sparking panic among worried parents who took thousands of children to hospitals and clinics. In the latest attack on vaccination workers, two gunmen on a motorcycle attacked a team in the Chaman district, on the southwestern border with Afghanistan, said government official Samiullah Agha. "One of the polio workers, Rashida Bibi, who was around 20, died and another of her colleagues was critically wounded," Agha told Reuters by telephone. No one has yet claimed responsibility. Two police officers guarding polio teams were killed in separate incidents in the northwest this week, while another polio worker was stabbed to death in the eastern city of Lahore. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), polio has been all but wiped out across the world following a sustained vaccination campaign, with only 22 cases reported in 2017 against more than 350,000 in 1988. Pakistan is one of the only three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, that suffers from endemic polio, a virus that can cause paralysis or death. Pakistan has reported four cases this year. There is no known cure but the disease can be prevented if children are given multiple treatments with the polio vaccine, the WHO says. Polio remains a global threat because as long as a single child remains infected, the virus can spread into polio-free countries and unimmunized populations. The government mounts public education campaigns and recruits Muslim religious leaders to reassure people that the vaccine only protects their children but suspicion of immunization persists. Efforts to build trust suffered a setback in 2011 when a Pakistani doctor believed to have been helping the U.S. CIA was accused of using a fake vaccination campaign to collect DNA samples in the hunt for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was killed in a raid by US special forces in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad. Authorities arrested and jailed the doctor.

Gunmen kill woman polio vaccinator in Pakistan

Local Afghan Taliban leaders are hindering global efforts to end polio, but Afghanistan and Pakistan must continue their fight to "get to zero" cases, the philanthropist Bill Gates said on Monday.

In a telephone interview with Reuters, Gates was optimistic about the global plan to eradicate the paralysing viral disease but said Afghanistan's conflict and power struggles hamper progress.

"The big issue there is always with the Taliban," said Gates, whose multi-billion dollar philanthropic Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the biggest funders of the polio eradication campaign.

Polio is a virus that spreads in areas with poor sanitation. It attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours of infection. Children under five are the most vulnerable, but polio can be prevented with vaccination.

Success in reducing case numbers worldwide has been largely due to intense national and regional immunisation campaigns in babies and children.

Latest Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) figures show that worldwide, there were 33 cases of polio in 2018 and six so far in 2019 - 16 of them in Pakistan and 23 in Afghanistan. These two, plus Nigeria, are the last remaining countries where the disease is endemic.

The GPEI, which includes the WHO, the Gates Foundation, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and others, began its push to wipe out polio in 1988 when the disease was endemic in 125 countries and was paralysing almost 1,000 children a day worldwide.

Since then, there have been at least a 99 per cent reduction in cases. But eradicating the disease - something that has only ever been achieved with one other human disease, smallpox - is proving a long and challenging task.

"We've got to get Afghanistan and Pakistan to zero," Gates said. "We need government donors to stay committed."

Gates, a billionaire who co-founded of Microsoft, said the global polio program is making progress in Pakistan and has a good relationship with Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has prioritised the polio fight.

The "only potential negative" in the region is instability in Afghanistan, Gates said, where Taliban leaders appear to have no single policy but "decide what they will and what they won't allow" regarding polio vaccinations.

"That's what we don't have predictability or control over," he said. "Sometimes they stop the campaigns from taking place. But the ideal is when they allow house-to-house (vaccine) delivery."

Gates pointed to India, which 12 years ago was responsible for 70 per cent of all polio cases and this week marks five years since it last recorded a case.

Gates had previously described the challenge of wiping out polio in India, which has a population of 1.3 billion people and some areas of very poor sanitation, as "mind-boggling". Success there, he said, shows polio can eventually be ended worldwide.

Local Afghan Taliban leaders are hindering global efforts to end polio, but Afghanistan and Pakistan must continue their fight to "get to zero" cases, the philanthropist Bill Gates said on Monday.

Local Afghan Taliban leaders are hindering global efforts to end polio, but Afghanistan and Pakistan must continue their fight to "get to zero" cases, the philanthropist Bill Gates said on Monday. In a telephone interview with Reuters, Gates was optimistic about the global plan to eradicate the paralysing viral disease but said Afghanistan's conflict and power struggles hamper progress. "The big issue there is always with the Taliban," said Gates, whose multi-billion dollar philanthropic Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the biggest funders of the polio eradication campaign. Polio is a virus that spreads in areas with poor sanitation. It attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours of infection. Children under five are the most vulnerable, but polio can be prevented with vaccination. Success in reducing case numbers worldwide has been largely due to intense national and regional immunisation campaigns in babies and children. Latest Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) figures show that worldwide, there were 33 cases of polio in 2018 and six so far in 2019 - 16 of them in Pakistan and 23 in Afghanistan. These two, plus Nigeria, are the last remaining countries where the disease is endemic. The GPEI, which includes the WHO, the Gates Foundation, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and others, began its push to wipe out polio in 1988 when the disease was endemic in 125 countries and was paralysing almost 1,000 children a day worldwide. Since then, there have been at least a 99 per cent reduction in cases. But eradicating the disease - something that has only ever been achieved with one other human disease, smallpox - is proving a long and challenging task. "We've got to get Afghanistan and Pakistan to zero," Gates said. "We need government donors to stay committed." Gates, a billionaire who co-founded of Microsoft, said the global polio program is making progress in Pakistan and has a good relationship with Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has prioritised the polio fight. The "only potential negative" in the region is instability in Afghanistan, Gates said, where Taliban leaders appear to have no single policy but "decide what they will and what they won't allow" regarding polio vaccinations. "That's what we don't have predictability or control over," he said. "Sometimes they stop the campaigns from taking place. But the ideal is when they allow house-to-house (vaccine) delivery." Gates pointed to India, which 12 years ago was responsible for 70 per cent of all polio cases and this week marks five years since it last recorded a case. Gates had previously described the challenge of wiping out polio in India, which has a population of 1.3 billion people and some areas of very poor sanitation, as "mind-boggling". Success there, he said, shows polio can eventually be ended worldwide.

Bill Gates urges Afghanistan and Pakistan to 'get to zero' in polio fight

As Pakistan closes in on eradicating polio, Prime Minister Imran Khan's office has urged the country's telecoms regulator to take action against misinformation spread on social media discouraging vaccination against it and other diseases.

"The parental refusals due to misconceptions regarding the vaccine are emerging as the major obstacle in achieving complete eradication," Khan's office said in a letter to the head of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, referring to parents who refuse to get their children vaccinated.

The letter, which was dated March 7 and posted on Twitter on Friday, was headed "Removal of Anti Vaccine Content from Facebook and YouTube".

No comment was immediately available from either company.

Separately on Friday, Facebook Inc, which along with other social media companies has faced growing pressure over spurious content spread on its platform, announced it would remove user groups and pages that contained misinformation about vaccinations. Last month, online video sharing site YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, said it would take action to stop advertising revenue to channels promoting anti-vaccination content.

Along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, Pakistan is one of the only three countries where complete polio eradication has not yet been achieved, but case numbers are at the lowest level ever, with only four cases reported in 2019. The country's success follows an intense programme based around vaccinating vulnerable children.

The letter from Khan's office said Pakistan was at a make-or-break moment and "cannot afford to become the victim of any anti-vaccine movement driven by propaganda mongers". "I, therefore, look forward to your support in blocking out all anti-vaccine content from the Internet in Pakistan."

Vaccination campaigns have faced opposition from militant Islamist groups in Pakistan.

However, Babar Atta, the prime minister's point person on eradicating polio, said the main problem faced by the campaign was lack of access to children whose parents were reluctant to allow them to be vaccinated.

"Persistently missed children provide a safe haven to the virus to keep on circulating in the environment," he said.

The questions people have around vaccinations is a "direct result of the negative content you have on social media", he said, adding the issue is made more difficult to control because such content is often in local languages not spoken by outsiders.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), polio has been all but wiped out across the world following a sustained vaccination campaign, with only 22 cases reported in 2017 against more than 350,000 in 1988. There is no known cure but the disease can be prevented if children are given multiple treatments with the polio vaccine, the WHO says. While it has virtually eliminated, polio remains a threat to global health because as long as a single child remains infected, the virus can easily be spread into polio-free countries and unimmunised populations, the agency says.

As Pakistan closes in on eradicating polio, Prime Minister Imran Khan's office has urged the country's telecoms regulator to take action against misinformation spread on social media discouraging vaccination against it and other diseases.

As Pakistan closes in on eradicating polio, Prime Minister Imran Khan's office has urged the country's telecoms regulator to take action against misinformation spread on social media discouraging vaccination against it and other diseases. "The parental refusals due to misconceptions regarding the vaccine are emerging as the major obstacle in achieving complete eradication," Khan's office said in a letter to the head of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, referring to parents who refuse to get their children vaccinated. The letter, which was dated March 7 and posted on Twitter on Friday, was headed "Removal of Anti Vaccine Content from Facebook and YouTube". No comment was immediately available from either company. Separately on Friday, Facebook Inc, which along with other social media companies has faced growing pressure over spurious content spread on its platform, announced it would remove user groups and pages that contained misinformation about vaccinations. Last month, online video sharing site YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, said it would take action to stop advertising revenue to channels promoting anti-vaccination content. Along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, Pakistan is one of the only three countries where complete polio eradication has not yet been achieved, but case numbers are at the lowest level ever, with only four cases reported in 2019. The country's success follows an intense programme based around vaccinating vulnerable children. The letter from Khan's office said Pakistan was at a make-or-break moment and "cannot afford to become the victim of any anti-vaccine movement driven by propaganda mongers". "I, therefore, look forward to your support in blocking out all anti-vaccine content from the Internet in Pakistan." Vaccination campaigns have faced opposition from militant Islamist groups in Pakistan. However, Babar Atta, the prime minister's point person on eradicating polio, said the main problem faced by the campaign was lack of access to children whose parents were reluctant to allow them to be vaccinated. "Persistently missed children provide a safe haven to the virus to keep on circulating in the environment," he said. The questions people have around vaccinations is a "direct result of the negative content you have on social media", he said, adding the issue is made more difficult to control because such content is often in local languages not spoken by outsiders. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), polio has been all but wiped out across the world following a sustained vaccination campaign, with only 22 cases reported in 2017 against more than 350,000 in 1988. There is no known cure but the disease can be prevented if children are given multiple treatments with the polio vaccine, the WHO says. While it has virtually eliminated, polio remains a threat to global health because as long as a single child remains infected, the virus can easily be spread into polio-free countries and unimmunised populations, the agency says.

As polio goal nears, Pakistan pushes against vaccine misinformation

Any parent will tell you that having children is one of life’s greatest joys and biggest challenges. As a mother, keeping my six-year-old protected and healthy is a big concern. After all, no parent wants to see their children get sick and suffer. No one wants their kids to miss out on school and jeopardize their chance at a brighter future. And, certainly, no parent should have to cope with the loss of a child.

If a child at my son’s school ever misses classes due to an infectious illness, all parents are immediately notified so that swift action can be taken to ensure the other kids don’t catch it. The school also checks that every child is immunised as vaccines are one of the most effective ways to protect against several life-threatening diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea.&nbsp;

In India, as around the world, immunisation has played a big role in protecting children against infectious diseases. Smallpox, which cost thousands of children their lives till only a few decades ago, was eradicated globally in 1980. Similarly, the government’s Pulse Polio immunisation program helped eliminate the dreadful disease in India in 2014. Luckily, this generation of children won’t remember how this disease painfully paralysed hundreds of children.

However, despite progress, I can’t help but wonder if we are doing enough today to make sure our children are safe and healthy tomorrow.

Take the case of pneumonia, for instance. It’s a serious lung infection that can affect anyone and which makes breathing difficult, causing bouts of painful coughing and wheezing. In infants and young children, severe pneumonia can make eating and drinking difficult, and may cause convulsions, loss of consciousness and even death. Young children especially children under the age of two are particularly vulnerable to this disease — every year India loses over 1.5 lakh children to pneumonia before they can celebrate their fifth birthday.

The real tragedy is that many of these deaths are easily preventable. Vaccinating against the leading causes of the disease, coupled with other simple interventions such as washing hands and exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months of life can considerably reduce the risk of pneumonia.&nbsp;

There are several vaccines that protect against causes of pneumonia, many of which are available for free under the government’s national immunisation program. The government also provides life-saving vaccines against diseases like diarrhoea and measles, which can prove to be dangerous for children, through the Universal Immunisation Programme. Yet, despite the availability of these vaccines, there are still many parents who are either unaware of the benefits of immunisation or are misinformed by rumours circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms. This results in many parents hesitating to vaccinate their children, leaving them exposed to the risk to a host of dangerous illnesses.&nbsp;

We are fortunate that today, treatment is often available for most of our children and in many cases, infections are overcome in a matter of days if the child receives appropriate treatment. What we sometimes fail to take into account are the broader and long-term impacts of frequent illnesses, which make children more prone to diseases in the future and can impair development and capacities to learn. Further, for those children whose access to an education is already threatened by economic vulnerabilities, missing school days could lead to them eventually dropping out of school, resulting in the loss of a secure future.&nbsp;

Vaccinating children also protects against high costs of treatment. In a country like ours, where there is still a lot of economic inequality, treating diseases like pneumonia can often prove to be expensive for lower-income families. Vaccinating children ensures that parents don’t have to stay at home looking after their sick children, thus losing their daily wages. It also reduces the risk of hospitalisations, which might drive families further into poverty.

When we become parents, we sign an unspoken contract — that we will protect our kids no matter what. Why, then, should we hesitate to adopt proven methods such as immunisation that protects our children from serious diseases that can even prove to be fatal? The more children are vaccinated, the stronger the collective immunity of our community. It’s important, therefore, that we come together — as parents and citizens — to ensure that no child is left behind in this fight against diseases. Together, we can gift our children a safe and secure future, so that they can grow up to become who they want to be.

 
(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-vaccinating-children-key-to-stronger-collective-immunity-2692918">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Any parent will tell you that having children is one of life’s greatest joys and biggest challenges. As a mother, keeping my six-year-old protected and healthy is a big concern.

Any parent will tell you that having children is one of life’s greatest joys and biggest challenges. As a mother, keeping my six-year-old protected and healthy is a big concern. After all, no parent wants to see their children get sick and suffer. No one wants their kids to miss out on school and jeopardize their chance at a brighter future. And, certainly, no parent should have to cope with the loss of a child. If a child at my son’s school ever misses classes due to an infectious illness, all parents are immediately notified so that swift action can be taken to ensure the other kids don’t catch it. The school also checks that every child is immunised as vaccines are one of the most effective ways to protect against several life-threatening diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea. In India, as around the world, immunisation has played a big role in protecting children against infectious diseases. Smallpox, which cost thousands of children their lives till only a few decades ago, was eradicated globally in 1980. Similarly, the government’s Pulse Polio immunisation program helped eliminate the dreadful disease in India in 2014. Luckily, this generation of children won’t remember how this disease painfully paralysed hundreds of children. However, despite progress, I can’t help but wonder if we are doing enough today to make sure our children are safe and healthy tomorrow. Take the case of pneumonia, for instance. It’s a serious lung infection that can affect anyone and which makes breathing difficult, causing bouts of painful coughing and wheezing. In infants and young children, severe pneumonia can make eating and drinking difficult, and may cause convulsions, loss of consciousness and even death. Young children especially children under the age of two are particularly vulnerable to this disease — every year India loses over 1.5 lakh children to pneumonia before they can celebrate their fifth birthday. The real tragedy is that many of these deaths are easily preventable. Vaccinating against the leading causes of the disease, coupled with other simple interventions such as washing hands and exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months of life can considerably reduce the risk of pneumonia. There are several vaccines that protect against causes of pneumonia, many of which are available for free under the government’s national immunisation program. The government also provides life-saving vaccines against diseases like diarrhoea and measles, which can prove to be dangerous for children, through the Universal Immunisation Programme. Yet, despite the availability of these vaccines, there are still many parents who are either unaware of the benefits of immunisation or are misinformed by rumours circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms. This results in many parents hesitating to vaccinate their children, leaving them exposed to the risk to a host of dangerous illnesses. We are fortunate that today, treatment is often available for most of our children and in many cases, infections are overcome in a matter of days if the child receives appropriate treatment. What we sometimes fail to take into account are the broader and long-term impacts of frequent illnesses, which make children more prone to diseases in the future and can impair development and capacities to learn. Further, for those children whose access to an education is already threatened by economic vulnerabilities, missing school days could lead to them eventually dropping out of school, resulting in the loss of a secure future. Vaccinating children also protects against high costs of treatment. In a country like ours, where there is still a lot of economic inequality, treating diseases like pneumonia can often prove to be expensive for lower-income families. Vaccinating children ensures that parents don’t have to stay at home looking after their sick children, thus losing their daily wages. It also reduces the risk of hospitalisations, which might drive families further into poverty. When we become parents, we sign an unspoken contract — that we will protect our kids no matter what. Why, then, should we hesitate to adopt proven methods such as immunisation that protects our children from serious diseases that can even prove to be fatal? The more children are vaccinated, the stronger the collective immunity of our community. It’s important, therefore, that we come together — as parents and citizens — to ensure that no child is left behind in this fight against diseases. Together, we can gift our children a safe and secure future, so that they can grow up to become who they want to be. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Vaccinating children key to stronger collective immunity

Nigeria has reported that two children in Borno state have been paralysed by polio, the first cases of the disease in the country in two years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. 
 
Nigeria and the UN agency are conducting immunisation campaigns and strengthening surveillance systems that help catch the virus early, the WHO said in a statement on the latest setback to its global programme to eradicate polio. 
 
&quot;The overriding priority now is to rapidly immunise all children around the affected area and ensure that no other children succumb to this terrible disease,&quot; said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. 
 
Pakistan and Afghanistan have also reported polio this year, with 21 cases to date, WHO said. 
 
(Reuters)

After two children have been paralysed by polio, immunisation has become a priority

Nigeria has reported that two children in Borno state have been paralysed by polio, the first cases of the disease in the country in two years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. Nigeria and the UN agency are conducting immunisation campaigns and strengthening surveillance systems that help catch the virus early, the WHO said in a statement on the latest setback to its global programme to eradicate polio. "The overriding priority now is to rapidly immunise all children around the affected area and ensure that no other children succumb to this terrible disease," said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. Pakistan and Afghanistan have also reported polio this year, with 21 cases to date, WHO said. (Reuters)

Nigeria reports first polio cases in two years: WHO

India plans to urgently immunise around 300,000 children against the crippling polio virus after a strain of the highly contagious disease was detected in sewage in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, the ministry of health said two days back. 
 
India was declared polio free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2014 after an almost two-decade long, multi-million dollar effort -- lauded as one of the country&#39;s biggest public health achievements in recent times. 
 
A health ministry statement confirmed media reports that a strain of the virus was discovered in a sewage sample taken near Hyderabad&#39;s Secunderabad railway station, but said that no children in area were found to be affected. 
 
&quot;India continues to be polio free as the country has eradicated wild polio virus and the last case was seen on 13th January, 2011, and it is more than five years that no wild polio virus has been detected,&quot; the health ministry said. 
 
The statement said a recent survey of the area found 94 per cent of children had received at least three doses of the oral polio vaccine and therefore transmission was unlikely. 
 
However &quot;as a precautionary measure&quot; a special immunisation drive would be held from June 20 in the high-risk districts of Hyderabad and Rangareddy, targeting around 300,000 children between the ages of six weeks and three years, it said. 
 
Vaccination booths will be set up, the ministry said, and parents encouraged to get their children injected with the Inactivated Polio Vaccine which will provide additional protection against all types of polio. 
 
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries left in the world where the virus remains endemic. 
 
The polio virus attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours of infection. It often spreads in areas with poor sanitation, and children under five are the most vulnerable. 
 
India - where more than 50,000 children were once afflicted with the virus every year - was considered one of the toughest places in the world to eradicate polio. 
 
Millions of health workers were involved in India&#39;s mammoth drive to immunise children by giving them polio drops. They targeted migrant families at bus stations, on trains and at festivals. Some used motorcycles or trekked to reach villages. 
 
As a result, over 170 million children are now immunised every year, with millions more targeted in house-to-house visits in a drive costing more than $3 billion since 1995. 
 
The health ministry said this is not the first time a strain of the virus has been detected in sewage samples, noting that 14 samples collected between January 2015 and May 2016 tested positive for a strain of the polio virus. 
 
It said vaccination campaigns were initiated and that no children had been affected. 
 
The ministry said India remained vigilant to outbreaks of polio and maintained &quot;a highly sensitive surveillance system&quot;.

Health ministry confirmed that a strain of the virus was discovered. As a precautionary measure a special immunisation drive will be held

India plans to urgently immunise around 300,000 children against the crippling polio virus after a strain of the highly contagious disease was detected in sewage in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, the ministry of health said two days back. India was declared polio free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2014 after an almost two-decade long, multi-million dollar effort -- lauded as one of the country's biggest public health achievements in recent times. A health ministry statement confirmed media reports that a strain of the virus was discovered in a sewage sample taken near Hyderabad's Secunderabad railway station, but said that no children in area were found to be affected. "India continues to be polio free as the country has eradicated wild polio virus and the last case was seen on 13th January, 2011, and it is more than five years that no wild polio virus has been detected," the health ministry said. The statement said a recent survey of the area found 94 per cent of children had received at least three doses of the oral polio vaccine and therefore transmission was unlikely. However "as a precautionary measure" a special immunisation drive would be held from June 20 in the high-risk districts of Hyderabad and Rangareddy, targeting around 300,000 children between the ages of six weeks and three years, it said. Vaccination booths will be set up, the ministry said, and parents encouraged to get their children injected with the Inactivated Polio Vaccine which will provide additional protection against all types of polio. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries left in the world where the virus remains endemic. The polio virus attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours of infection. It often spreads in areas with poor sanitation, and children under five are the most vulnerable. India - where more than 50,000 children were once afflicted with the virus every year - was considered one of the toughest places in the world to eradicate polio. Millions of health workers were involved in India's mammoth drive to immunise children by giving them polio drops. They targeted migrant families at bus stations, on trains and at festivals. Some used motorcycles or trekked to reach villages. As a result, over 170 million children are now immunised every year, with millions more targeted in house-to-house visits in a drive costing more than $3 billion since 1995. The health ministry said this is not the first time a strain of the virus has been detected in sewage samples, noting that 14 samples collected between January 2015 and May 2016 tested positive for a strain of the polio virus. It said vaccination campaigns were initiated and that no children had been affected. The ministry said India remained vigilant to outbreaks of polio and maintained "a highly sensitive surveillance system".

India to vaccinate 300,000 children after active polio strain found in sewage

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