Newpolio cases alarmwho
Around 150,000 children have reportedly not been immunised against the deadly virus
The World Health Organisation (Who) has expressed concern over emergence of new polio cases in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region, where around 150,000 children have reportedly not been immunised against the deadly virus.
At least eight cases have been detected in Khyber agency this year, one from Tirah and seven from Bara town, Dawn News reported.
Khyber agency is the only area in Asia having both the polio virus 1 and 3 types.
Zabia, the 23-month-old daughter of Noor Jan, a resident of Akakhel area of Tirah, has become the latest case recorded in the region.
Zabia did not receive any dose of the oral polio vaccine, as the area where she lives has not been visited by anymedical team since September 2009 due to fear over terror attacks.
The Who said spread of the virus will continue unabated as long as anti-polio programmes continue to miss a significant number of children, either due to insecurity or poor quality health campaigns.
A Who official said that due to coordinated efforts the problem of inaccessibility was on the decline.
Dereliction of duty
The political administration arrested four health workers and withheld salaries of at least two others for dereliction of duty during the recent polio campaign in Jamrud and Landi Kotal.
Officials said that they had also sent health teams to the far-flung areas of Bagh and Maidan in Tirah valley. They said that though actual figures of vaccination were not yet available, the three-day campaignwent smoothly andwithout any resistance.
The polio virology laboratory at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed four newcases of type-1 polio in Pakistan, raising the total number of polio cases reported this year to 21.