The government's aggressive nation-wide mass vaccination campaign against the crippling disease has brought the country closer to achieve polio free status in the world. Talking to APP, a Health Ministry official said that in 1994, over 3,000 cases of Polio were occurring annually. The number of polio cases could have been over 20,000 annually if efforts were not made to fight the poliovirus, he remarked.
The virus had been effectively isolated and only nine cases were reported this year from all parts of the country, he added. Balochistan did not report any case since October 2003 while AJK and FATA were polio-free for the last three years, he remarked.
"According to a recent independent report of World Health Organisation 97percent children under five years of age were covered during the Polio round held recently." The polio vaccination teams reached 99percent of the households, he added. Target dates for eradication were set globally with an aim to intensify efforts and mobilise all available resources. Pakistan was well on its way to achieving the target as observed by the independent monitors and World Health Organisation, he remarked.
"Support of the media is vital as we fight the final battle to save our children from the crippling shadows of polio. The electronic and print media in Pakistan is vibrant and independent and can act as a crucial agent for change," he said.
The recent study conducted in Bajaur Agency by Hamidullah Khan of Zoology Department University of Peshawar also validated Government and WHO studies for 97 percent in the children aged up to five years and 96.40 percent in those aged up to six month.
About the safety he said Oral Polio vaccine was the safest vaccine ever produced. Adverse reaction from the (OPV) was about one in three million, much lower than the chance of Pakistani children becoming paralysed from infection with wild poliovirus.
Comments
Comments are closed.