Pakistanis banned from travelling abroad without a Polio Certificate

[Inqhilab]

KARACHI: The World Health Organisation on Monday recommended strict travel restrictions on Pakistan due to the rising number of polio cases in the country.

The WHO said the spread of polio is an international public health emergency that threatens to infect other countries with the crippling disease.

The public health arm of the United Nations, issued its new guidelines to fight the disease, recommending Pakistanis traveling abroad should present a polio vaccination certificate.

The WHO also recommended similar restrictions on Syria and Cameroon — two other countries where the disease was previously said to have been eradicated but have recently been known to have been exporting the potentially disease.

Pakistan is one of only three countries where the crippling virus is endemic. The other two countries are Nigeria and Afghanistan.

In an announcement today, the agency described the ongoing polio outbreaks in Asia, Africa and the Middle East as an ''extraordinary'' situation requiring a coordinated international response.

States currently exporting wild polio virus


In a statement, the WHO said Pakistan, Cameroon, and the Syrian Arab Republic pose the greatest risk of further wild poliovirus exportations in 2014. The WHO recommended:

“These States should:

1. officially declare, if not already done, at the level of head of state or government, that the interruption of poliovirus transmission is a national public health emergency;
   
   
2. ensure that all residents and long-term visitors (i.e. > 4 weeks) receive a dose of OPV or inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) between 4 weeks and 12 months prior to international travel;
   
   
3. ensure that those undertaking urgent travel (i.e. within 4 weeks), who have not received a dose of OPV or IPV in the previous 4 weeks to 12 months, receive a dose of polio vaccine at least by the time of departure as this will still provide benefit, particularly for frequent travelers;
   
   
4. ensure that such travelers are provided with an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis in the form specified in Annex 6 of the International Health Regulations (2005) to record their polio vaccination and serve as proof of vaccination;
   
   
5. maintain these measures until the following criteria have been met: (i) at least 6 months have passed without new exportations and (ii) there is documentation of full application of high quality eradication activities in all infected and high risk areas; in the absence of such documentation these measures should be maintained until at least 12 months have passed without new exportations.”

“Once a State has met the criteria to be assessed as no longer exporting wild poliovirus, it should continue to be considered as an infected State until such time as it has met the criteria to be removed from that category,” added the WHO statement.

Polio usually strikes children under five and is usually spread via infected water. There is no specific treatment or cure, but several vaccines exist.

Experts are particularly concerned the virus continues to pop up in countries previously free of the disease, such as Syria, Somalia and Iraq — where civil war or unrest complicates efforts to contain the virus.

Some critics say the rapid spread of polio could unravel the nearly three-decade effort to eradicate it.

Polio cases: WHO recommends travel restrictions on Pakistan - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

 

[Dubious]

@WebMaster @Aeronaut @nuclearpak @Oscar @Manticore @Jungibaaz can we get all polio related threads joined?

Pakistan jumps into action fearing ‘polio’ travel ban | Page 2

and I think ther are about 3 or 4 other threads some since last yr

 

[Inqhilab]

In recent years, wild polio virus found in Iraq, Syria; and in sewage in Israel, West Bank-Gaza, Cairo has been traced back to Pakistan : WHO

 

[Pandora]

Pakistan deserves this step for not taking polio vaccination seriously. Well as long as ganjas and nangas are ok then no one gives a fuuck about who is getting paralyzed. Pakistan should impose such restriction on people travelling from FATA to other parts of pakistan.

 

[SrNair]

Pakistan can finish these endemic disease once and for all.Infact they could have destroy these menace years ago.TTP is the main obstacle.

 

[Imran Khan]

good news .................

 

[waz]

Not surprised and I'd expect any sane nation to take action against such a dreadful disease.

More joy courtesy of the TTP and the people who want to negotiate with these savages.

 

[ziaulislam]

Pakistan deserves this step for not taking polio vaccination seriously. Well as long as ganjas and nangas are ok then no one gives a fuuck about who is getting paralyzed. Pakistan should impose such restriction on people travelling from FATA to other parts of pakistan.

and why the F*** should they simply dont go and mmunize the people in FATA, isnt FATA part of pakistan under fedral govt.
if fedral govt cant keep it house clean then it should either hand it over to KPK or make it a new provincce

 

[Pandora]

and why the F*** should they simply dont go and mmunize the people in FATA, isnt FATA part of pakistan under fedral govt.
if fedral govt cant keep it house clean then it should either hand it over to KPK or make it a new provincce

Unless somehow every single mullah in that region dies of heart attack otherwise there is no way for a successful polio campaign in FATA.

 

[ziaulislam]

Unless somehow every single mullah in that region dies of heart attack otherwise there is no way for a successful polio campaign in FATA.

well, not all MULLAH are agianst polio, govt should take fatwa from well known undesputed madarras and go and immunize people. thiss is a lame excuse.
KPK govt already went and took a fatwa from darul -uloom haqqani akora khattack for this purpose.

the only and only reason is gross negligence by fedral gov nothing else other things are just plain lame excuses.

 

[Irfan Baloch]

Not surprised and I'd expect any sane nation to take action against such a dreadful disease.

More joy courtesy of the TTP and the people who want to negotiate with these savages.

Munawar Hassan considers these TTP better than the Sahabah and Ahl Baith thats why he calls them syed as Shuhada and true incarnation of Islam
our wahabist relgious organisations and their armed wings are the real bane of Pakistan. TTP has pretty much condemned the next generations of KPK

well, not all MULLAH are agianst polio, govt should take fatwa from well known undesputed madarras and go and immunize people. thiss is a lame excuse.
KPK govt already went and took a fatwa from darul -uloom haqqani akora khattack for this purpose.
the only and only reason is gross negligence by fedral gov nothing else other things are just plain lame excuses.

taking fatwa is a good thing but TTP and their influenced population normally dismisses such fatwas saying they are darbari mullah. Al Qaeda and TTP dismisses the Imam Kabah and Jamiah Al Azhar Amir as well. anti taliban/ al qaeda fatwa doesnt help to change the minds of takfiris.. in the past they killed Hazrat Ali and Usman r.a. they dont show any mercy to thse who oppose their views

blaming federal governments is wrong.. its democracy there and they are busy being democratic. why blame them?
its the job of civil administration, police and paramilitary to provide security to polio vaccination teams and the local leaders to build awareness among the thick headed bastard population

 

[waz]

Munawar Hassan considers these TTP better than the Sahabah and Ahl Baith thats why he calls them syed as Shuhada and true incarnation of Islam
our wahabist relgious organisations and their armed wings are the real bane of Pakistan. TTP has pretty much condemned the next generations of KPK

And by default most of Pakistan. Freedom of movement cannot be stopped.

Like you brother I am just sick of the lack of inaction against these people. People can dream all they want about the future of Pakistan. Until the Taliban are wiped out, and I mean every man and their ideological allies alienated, we will never progress but go backwards. Cue the polio topic above.

 

[ziaulislam]

Munawar Hassan considers these TTP better than the Sahabah and Ahl Baith thats why he calls them syed as Shuhada and true incarnation of Islam
our wahabist relgious organisations and their armed wings are the real bane of Pakistan. TTP has pretty much condemned the next generations of KPK



taking fatwa is a good thing but TTP and their influenced population normally dismisses such fatwas saying they are darbari mullah. Al Qaeda and TTP dismisses the Imam Kabah and Jamiah Al Azhar Amir as well. anti taliban/ al qaeda fatwa doesnt help to change the minds of takfiris.. in the past they killed Hazrat Ali and Usman r.a. they dont show any mercy to thse who oppose their views

blaming federal governments is wrong.. its democracy there and they are busy being democratic. why blame them?
its the job of civil administration, police and paramilitary to provide security to polio vaccination teams and the local leaders to build awareness among the thick headed bastard population

had the problem been in provincial govt, i would have blamed them too. there have been attacks on polio workers in KPK and sindh yet they tried to do what they could, but completely stopping polio vaccination altogether is idiotic and all blame lies with federal govt, polio vaccination should have been on top more important than cease fire agreement but we see nothing despite talks going for three months the govt has even put polio on the agenda
thats the reason this year polio cases have been highest in past full decade since 2000 meaning utter failure of federal govt, or i would say that dont care about FATA at all

 

[Irfan Baloch]

good news .................

meaningful comment hope I understood

if you are commenting on the retarded attitude of taliban and their apologists but I can say that
they are all smug and really satisfied for the job well done
they will dismiss it as a conspiracy against "Islam" and their"honor" or will declare that its the Punishment of God for the Sins of the state for "betraying" Islam and supporting American war on terror.

watch how very affluent, "enlightened" and educated and Ipad addicted middle class apologists will justify the stance of Tribal elders & Taliban.

 

[Inqhilab]

Travelers from Sindh,KP,Balochistan to Punjab to show polio vaccination certificates​

LAHORE: People traveling to Punjab from other provinces of Pakistan will now have to present polio vaccination certificates.

Health Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Khwaja Salman Rafique told DawnNews on Tuesday that, after polio cases recently surfaced in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there was a risk of the crippling virus traveling into Punjab.

Rafique said that polio vaccination counters would be set up at all airports in Punjab within the next two days. He said that those who refuse to be administered polio drops will not be allowed to enter the province without showing polio vaccination certificates.

Polio vaccination teams aided by the police will be posted at 41 entry points from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Punjab and all entrances from Sindh at the border in Rahim Yar Khan.

Related: WHO puts shackles on Pakistan over polio

All children entering the province will be administered polio drops if they do not show vaccination certificates.

The Punjab government's decision comes a day after the World Health Organisation imposed strict travel restrictions on Pakistan, Syria and Cameroon, warning that the crippling disease has re-emerged as a public health emergency.

The virus currently affects 10 countries worldwide and is endemic in three countries including Pakistan.

Earlier today, the federal health ministry announced that it was setting up mandatory polio immunisation points at all international airports in the country in response to the WHO’s recommendations.

“Special measures will include establishing mandatory immunisation counters on all airports, border crossings and seaports for all travellers,” said ministry spokesman Sajid Ali Shah.

Zardari urges WHO to review decision
Meanwhile, former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari expressed concern over the travel restrictions and requested the WHO to review its decision.

“The imposition of travel ban will only increase Pakistan’s isolation and not advance the global fight against polio,” said Zardari in a statement today.

The former president called upon the authorities in the federal and provincial governments to step up efforts to contain the spread of polio, and to use an iron fist against militants opposing polio vaccinations.

The polio spread has been caused in no small measure by the armed opposition to it by bigots, he said.

“The travel ban resulting in increasing our isolation should serve to remind everyone that the policy of appeasing militants will cost the country dearly,” he said.

“Militants opposing polio vaccination want to incapacitate the future generations and we owe it to our children to root out the extremists and militants before it is too late,” he urged.

Also read: Pakistan to set up polio vaccination points at airports

According to the WHO, Pakistan recorded 91 cases of polio last year, up from 58 in 2012. It has also recorded 59 of the world's 74 cases this year.

The disease has re-emerged in Pakistan because the Taliban and other militants violently oppose inoculation campaigns and because of public fears that the vaccine leads to infertility.

Militants see the polio campaign as a cover for foreign spying and regularly attack immunisation teams, killing some 56 people since December 2012.

Their opposition had increased since a Pakistani doctor Dr Shakil Afridi helped track down terror chief Osama bin Laden in 2011 using a fake vaccine project.

Last month officials announced they would begin administering polio drops to children at security checkpoints in the country's lawless tribal belt.

Travelers to Punjab to show polio vaccination certificates - Pakistan - DAWN.COM