PESHAWAR:
The fourth meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee announced the spread of polio still constitutes a ‘public health emergency of international concern’.
The committee has recommended extending the ‘temporary recommendations’ for another three months.
Among others, these include declaring a national public health emergency, restricting departure of any residents from the country if they lack an international certification of vaccination and maintaining these measures till the country has stopped exporting polio. The WHO statement is available on their website.
Hours after the WHO pointed to Pakistan as the only country still spreading the crippling virus, Sehat ka Ittehad’s recent drive came to a close and left at least 33,601 children unvaccinated.
Children were immunised against nine vaccine preventable diseases including measles, tuberculosis, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, meningitis, hepatitis B and influenza, across K-P and Fata.
With a target of over three million children in the province and tribal belt, at least 288,613 children were not vaccinated due to various reasons.
In the province, over 137,000 children were not at their homes when vaccination teams visited.
Health officials confirmed follow-up campaigns will involve religious leaders and local influentials and parents who still refuse to cooperate will be arrested by the police and charged under relevant sections of law.
On Monday, 471 parents were arrested by the police for refusing to allow their children to be inoculated in Peshawar on Monday. They were booked under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order.
