Unique Crypto Strategies
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World

Unique Crypto Strategies

World

A million children in Pakistan miss polio vaccine shots as cases spike

by October 22, 2024
October 22, 2024
A million children in Pakistan miss polio vaccine shots as cases spike

Polio is once again spreading in Pakistan, where officials say more than 1 million children missed their vaccination doses last month, underscoring the challenges they face in eradicating one of the world’s most intractable diseases.

Pakistani officials reported more than a dozen new polio cases in October, bringing the total number of infections this year to 39, compared to just six last year when the South Asian country appeared to be on the verge of eliminating the virus.

Ayesha Raza, the Focal Person to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Polio Eradication, blamed the recent uptick in cases on low vaccine uptake. She said about 1 million children missed their polio vaccinations in September, compounding a pre-existing immunity gap that has been growing since Covid-19 disrupted immunization efforts.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that mainly affects children under age 5. It attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis, respiratory issues and even death.

It spreads mainly through contaminated water or food and there is no cure. But it can be prevented with a vaccine: polio cases worldwide have been reduced by more than 99% since the 1980s thanks to immunization campaigns.

Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains endemic, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), though the United Nations health agency has also recently warned of a resurgence of the deadly disease in Gaza following more than a year of Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave.

Vaccination programs in Pakistan, home to more than 240 million people, have struggled in part due to a historical distrust of foreign health care providers. Allegations that US intelligence officials used a fake immunization program in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad as part of efforts to capture Osama bin Laden in 2011 inflamed those concerns.

Religious beliefs and a lack of awareness about the dangers of polio have also hindered public health efforts. International NGOs and Pakistani authorities have worked aggressively to dispel rumors and vaccinate children in recent years, but misinformation continues to spread.

Most of the recent cases in Pakistan are clustered in southwestern Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan, where local officials say parents are reluctant to vaccinate their children due to widespread misinformation and distrust of health care providers.

Most of the children recently infected with the disease had been partially vaccinated but did not complete all four required doses, said Raza, the official.

Reported cases will also likely rise further as Pakistan steps up its surveillance efforts, Raza said.

“A lot of work is being done to fill the gaps that we’ve missed in the past,” she said.

The uptick in polio cases in Pakistan also comes as violent attacks against vaccination clinics have ramped up, targeting police and security officials.

Militants have targeted anti-polio campaigns in Pakistan for decades, with some claiming vaccines are a Western conspiracy used to sterilize children.

In September, armed militants killed a police officer protecting a polio vaccination site in the northwest city of Bannu, prompting protests. A police officer and a polio worker were killed in another shooting that month in the northwest city of Bajaur.

Aftab Kakar, a representative for the Emergency Operation Center in Balochistan, said protests, insecurity and community boycotts had disrupted vaccine campaigns, “leaving a cohort of missed children who could sustain virus transmission.”

Health workers put a mark on a child’s finger to indicate if they’ve received the vaccine. But in some cases, children have been incorrectly marked as having been vaccinated when they haven’t, Kakar said.

Despite the recent surge in cases, Pakistani authorities are optimistic they can stop the spread of the disease. The country is launching a new nationwide polio vaccination campaign on October 28 with the aim of inoculating 45 million children under age 5.

“Polio eradication is Pakistan’s top priority,” Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Programme posted on social media.

“A unified plan with provinces aims to stop polio transmission by 2025.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Sona Nanotech Issued Patent and Appoints New Board Member
next post
KJP denies that Kamala Harris has had trouble distinguishing herself from Biden: ‘I’ve not seen that’

You may also like

Ukraine, Russia say drone strikes continue after Trump-Putin...

Iran, China and Russia launch annual joint naval...

The scent of a mummy: Research discovers ancient...

Oxford’s word of the year is a modern...

Ukraine’s allies in disarray as Trump-led diplomacy nears

Angry crowds boo and throw eggs at Spanish...

A year into the war, Israeli military operations...

A fiery collision in the North Sea has...

Car crashes into people outside primary school in...

Argentine president defends his cryptocurrency tweet after crash,...

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest

    • ‘A fear campaign.’ Students around the world are shocked, scared and saddened...

    • North Korea deploys mystery balloon-like objects to stricken warship, satellite photos show

    • NVIDIA Rallies After Strong Q1, AI Demand Outshines China Export Hit

    • US senators meet with Zelensky in Kyiv as doubt cast over upcoming Ukraine-Russia peace talks

    • Israel’s plan to ‘conquer’ Gaza is leaving Palestinians with little place to go: 5 maps show how

    Categories

    • Business (479)
    • Investing (2,276)
    • Politics (3,721)
    • Uncategorized (1)
    • World (2,405)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: uniquecryptostrategies.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 uniquecryptostrategies.com | All Rights Reserved


    Back To Top