The medical experts on Tuesday declared Pakistan among the countries, like Nigeria and Afghanistan, which have shown an increase in the number of polio cases last year. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF medical experts briefed the reporters at a conference on polio. They said that Poliomyelitis (polio) was a highly infectious disease caused by a virus which infects children through the mouth, through contact with infected secretions from the nose or mouth or through contact with infected faeces due to poor hand washing or eating dirt. The symptoms of the infection include fever, tiredness, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, pain in the arms and legs and may progress to paralysis sometimes. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age. They said further that there was no cure for polio, adding that it could be prevented through vaccination with OPV drops. The experts said that polio immunisation started as a part of the routine immunisation in 1982. In 1988, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to make the world polio-free and many countries have been successful in eradicating polio, while Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to have a significant number of polio cases. India has had recent dramatic decrease and only one case has been reported so far. The experts said further that it was essential to have high quality campaigns, with every child under five years receiving polio drops during every campaign, so that Pakistan could become polio-free. Punjab witnessed nine polio cases, compared to seven cases of the previous year. The experts discussed several immunisation methods, including organising the National Immunisation Days (NIDs) that provide transient barrier to the circulation of the virus and direct the polio eradication efforts. Moreover, geographically focused campaigns targeting high risk areas are identified by surveillance – a late strategy when the virus is localised. The experts suggested timely immunisation, starting at birth, adding that even 3 doses of OPV may only protect 75 percent children, therefore supplemental doses of OPV should be given to all children under five years of age during the mass immunisation campaigns. The next NIDs would be held from January 30 to February 1, the medical experts informed.
