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Balochistan becomes world capital of polio; adds to Pakistan shame
Ahmar Mustikhan
Pakistan's blood-soaked, Texas-sized Balochistan province has won another dubious distinction -- it has become the polio capital of the world.
During year 2011, a total of 197 cases were reported, which is nearly 37% higher than the previous year. The largest numbers of cases were reported from Balochistan i.e. 68, according to PINFO, an Islamabad-based information management.
Last year Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani expressed concern at the rapid increase in number of polio cases in Balochistan. In just one year, there was a 50 percent rise in the number of cases.
There is no debate in the Pakistani mainstream media and political discourse, but polio has become a source of Pakistans shame in the world, says PINFO.
Since 2008, Pakistan is the only country in the world where polio cases are on the rise. In year 2009, a total of 116 cases were reported while in 2010, this number surged to 144.
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Khyber Agencys tehsil (subdivision), Bara is the only place in whole of Asia where Type-3 poliovirus is being reported since 2010. World Health Organization (WHO) called on the government to take immediate and imperative actions to counter the situation.
President Asif Ali Zardari in January 2011 declared a national emergency against polio and received assistance from the UN and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the polio vaccination.
But by the year end, WHO estimated that nearly 200,000 children were not administered the polio vaccine and it resulted in 197 reported cases. India in 2011 reported 44 cases where the number was 250,000 three decades ago.
Pakistan started receiving heavy international assistance from 2000-01 but even after a decade, the polio cases keep mushrooming.
This creates serious doubts among the donor countries/organizations about the transparent utilization of assistance given to Pakistan.
In 2011, China sealed the Xinjiang border with Pakistan when 10 cases of polio were found there. The polio virus was found for the first time since 1999.
As of February 29, 2012, a total of 12 polio cases were reported in Pakistan and this has alarmed the new Regional Director of the Worold Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Ala Alwan.
He is expected to visit Pakistan as his top priority given the recurring failure to control polio and a news report mentioned that knowing the reasons from the Government about the poor performance on Pakistans National Emergency Action Plan on Polio.
According to a news report on March 7, 2012, the performance of polio eradication campaign in 21, out of 29, emergency districts in Pakistan was termed dissatisfactory. PM Gilani expressed his displeasure on the failure and ordered both an inquiry in the failure and stepping up the anti-polio campaign.
South Asia and Nigeria are two regions in the world where poliovirus is found and Pakistan leads poliovirus cases in South Asia. Even Sudan and Myanmar are rid of the virus.
According to a WHO report on February 14, 2012, there were a total of 8 cases of polio reported all over the world; 7 were from Pakistan.
On February 4, 2012, it was reported that the Government has been informed that a ban could be imposed on travel to and from Pakistan because of the fear that the virus could travel to other countries.
The national anti-polio campaign was started in 69 districts on March 12, 2012.
According to a news report on March 17, the government officials, for the first time ever, arrested six men in Orakzai Agency for hindering the campaign.
Pakistan;s Inter-Services intelligence has launched an international campaign to malign the CIA for the failure of the polio vaccination drive.
A Pashtun medic Shakil Afridi and his family, including his American wife, have been forcibly disappeared by the I.S.I. for helping the C.I.A. in identifying Osama bin Laden through a fake vaccine drive.
Balochistan is also in the throes of a dirty war that is far worse than Argenitine and Chile, according to Mehran Baluch, Balochistan's unofficial representative at the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Balochistan becomes world capital of polio; adds to Pakistan shame - Baltimore Foreign Policy | Examiner.com Balochistan becomes world capital of polio; adds to Pakistan shame - Baltimore Foreign Policy | Examiner.com
Continue reading on Examiner.com Balochistan becomes world capital of polio; adds to Pakistan shame - Baltimore Foreign Policy | Examiner.com Balochistan becomes world capital of polio; adds to Pakistan shame - Baltimore Foreign Policy | Examiner.com
Ahmar Mustikhan
Pakistan's blood-soaked, Texas-sized Balochistan province has won another dubious distinction -- it has become the polio capital of the world.
During year 2011, a total of 197 cases were reported, which is nearly 37% higher than the previous year. The largest numbers of cases were reported from Balochistan i.e. 68, according to PINFO, an Islamabad-based information management.
Last year Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani expressed concern at the rapid increase in number of polio cases in Balochistan. In just one year, there was a 50 percent rise in the number of cases.
There is no debate in the Pakistani mainstream media and political discourse, but polio has become a source of Pakistans shame in the world, says PINFO.
Since 2008, Pakistan is the only country in the world where polio cases are on the rise. In year 2009, a total of 116 cases were reported while in 2010, this number surged to 144.
Advertisement
Khyber Agencys tehsil (subdivision), Bara is the only place in whole of Asia where Type-3 poliovirus is being reported since 2010. World Health Organization (WHO) called on the government to take immediate and imperative actions to counter the situation.
President Asif Ali Zardari in January 2011 declared a national emergency against polio and received assistance from the UN and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the polio vaccination.
But by the year end, WHO estimated that nearly 200,000 children were not administered the polio vaccine and it resulted in 197 reported cases. India in 2011 reported 44 cases where the number was 250,000 three decades ago.
Pakistan started receiving heavy international assistance from 2000-01 but even after a decade, the polio cases keep mushrooming.
This creates serious doubts among the donor countries/organizations about the transparent utilization of assistance given to Pakistan.
In 2011, China sealed the Xinjiang border with Pakistan when 10 cases of polio were found there. The polio virus was found for the first time since 1999.
As of February 29, 2012, a total of 12 polio cases were reported in Pakistan and this has alarmed the new Regional Director of the Worold Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Ala Alwan.
He is expected to visit Pakistan as his top priority given the recurring failure to control polio and a news report mentioned that knowing the reasons from the Government about the poor performance on Pakistans National Emergency Action Plan on Polio.
According to a news report on March 7, 2012, the performance of polio eradication campaign in 21, out of 29, emergency districts in Pakistan was termed dissatisfactory. PM Gilani expressed his displeasure on the failure and ordered both an inquiry in the failure and stepping up the anti-polio campaign.
South Asia and Nigeria are two regions in the world where poliovirus is found and Pakistan leads poliovirus cases in South Asia. Even Sudan and Myanmar are rid of the virus.
According to a WHO report on February 14, 2012, there were a total of 8 cases of polio reported all over the world; 7 were from Pakistan.
On February 4, 2012, it was reported that the Government has been informed that a ban could be imposed on travel to and from Pakistan because of the fear that the virus could travel to other countries.
The national anti-polio campaign was started in 69 districts on March 12, 2012.
According to a news report on March 17, the government officials, for the first time ever, arrested six men in Orakzai Agency for hindering the campaign.
Pakistan;s Inter-Services intelligence has launched an international campaign to malign the CIA for the failure of the polio vaccination drive.
A Pashtun medic Shakil Afridi and his family, including his American wife, have been forcibly disappeared by the I.S.I. for helping the C.I.A. in identifying Osama bin Laden through a fake vaccine drive.
Balochistan is also in the throes of a dirty war that is far worse than Argenitine and Chile, according to Mehran Baluch, Balochistan's unofficial representative at the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Balochistan becomes world capital of polio; adds to Pakistan shame - Baltimore Foreign Policy | Examiner.com Balochistan becomes world capital of polio; adds to Pakistan shame - Baltimore Foreign Policy | Examiner.com
Continue reading on Examiner.com Balochistan becomes world capital of polio; adds to Pakistan shame - Baltimore Foreign Policy | Examiner.com Balochistan becomes world capital of polio; adds to Pakistan shame - Baltimore Foreign Policy | Examiner.com
