ISLAMABAD: Despite efforts by the government and other stakeholders, the number of polio cases increased by four times in 2014 compared to the corresponding period last year. “The global community has been looking towards Pakistan to address the issue. During the low transmission season starting from December, quality campaigns have to be carried out to eradicate the virus.”

This was stated by Dr Zubair Mufti, the representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), while speaking at a news conference at a local hotel a day before the World Polio Day (on October 24).

Know more: War on polio: Is it all spiraling out of control for Pakistan?

Dr Mufti said though Afghanistan and Nigeria had also the issue of polio, the situation in Pakistan was bad.

“As many as 217 cases of polio have been reported in the current year in Pakistan.” He said 12 cases were reported from Afghanistan and only six from Nigeria during the current year.

“There are issues of security but still during the low transmission season, from December to April - steps should be taken to control the virus. Poliovirus cannot survive for more than four days in sewage.”

He said the virus could only replicate in the human intestine so it has to be ensured that every child is vaccinated. The military operation in South Waziristan provided an opportunity to vaccinate the children who could not be covered for over two years.

“Because of the operation people started migration. It was decided to vaccinate every person at the exit point of Waziristan. So far, 700,000 people have been vaccinated,” he said.

Executive Director Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA) Prof Aly Mishal, who belongs to Jordan, said polio had been eliminated in most of the countries.

“Only three predominantly Muslim countries still have the disease because of misunderstanding that the polio vaccine is harmful for children and is Haram. Last year, the WHO approached FIMA to play its role for the eradication of the virus by explaining the scientific and Islamic view regarding the disease.”

Though all the assumptions about polio vaccine are wrong, still a number of people refuse to vaccinate their children, he said.

Principal Rawalpindi Medical College Prof Mohammad Umar said it was difficult to defend the case of Pakistan because polio was 100 per cent preventable disease.

Dean Faculty of Health Sciences at Tameer-i-Millat University Islamabad, Prof Mohammad Iqbal Khan, said all platforms should be used for the eradication of the poliovirus.

“The government and the WHO are also involving religious scholars to create public awareness that polio vaccine is not injurious to health,” he said.

In reply to question, Dr Mufti said all over the world Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) were used to eradicate the virus.

An official of the Ministry of National Health Services requesting not to be identified told Dawn that a representative of Unicef should also have been invited to the press conference because it (Unicef) procured vaccine and played a role in most of the polio campaigns.

“Even about 2000 officials, who dealt with the cases of refusals in the country, also work under Unicef,” he said.

Abdul Wadood, the media coordinator for Pakistan Islamic Medical Association, who organised the event, acknowledged that the Unicef representative was not invited to the press conference.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2014