First polio case has been detected in Pakistan's militant-infested tribal belt since the Taliban banned vaccinations a year ago, says a UN official.
"The new case has been detected in North Waziristan where we had been denied access in June last year," the World Health Organization's senior coordinator for polio eradication in Pakistan, Elias Durry, told AFP.
Poliomyelitis
Polio is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. It results in paralysis and generally affects people of all age groups, children being more susceptible
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Tribesmen in North Waziristan, Pakistan's most notorious stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants, endorsed the Taliban ban and stopped authorities from vaccinating children under a nationwide campaign.
"This has been the first case since we were stopped from vaccinating children in the region last year," Durry said.
The Taliban alleged that the campaign was a cover for espionage.
![Bill Gate]( "Bill Gate")
Bill Gates announced his decision to donate $1.8 billion to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which makes up for one third of the total funds required.
Efforts to tackle the highly infectious disease have been hampered over the years by local suspicion about vaccines being a plot to sterilise Muslims, particularly in Pakistan's conservative and poorly educated northwest.
"We are worried because this new case comes as an example of a bigger impending outbreak of disease in the region," the WHO official said.
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only three countries in the world where the highly infectious, crippling disease remains endemic and infections shot up from a low of 28 in 2005 to almost 200 last year.
Durry said the United Nations and the Pakistani government are working together to reach out to the children in North Waziristan.
Source: AFP
The Taliban alleged that the campaign was a cover for espionage.
Bill Gate's Generous Initiative for Polio Eradication
Bill Gates announced his decision to donate $1.8 billion to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which makes up for one third of the total funds required.
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Efforts to tackle the highly infectious disease have been hampered over the years by local suspicion about vaccines being a plot to sterilise Muslims, particularly in Pakistan's conservative and poorly educated northwest.
"We are worried because this new case comes as an example of a bigger impending outbreak of disease in the region," the WHO official said.
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only three countries in the world where the highly infectious, crippling disease remains endemic and infections shot up from a low of 28 in 2005 to almost 200 last year.
Durry said the United Nations and the Pakistani government are working together to reach out to the children in North Waziristan.
Source: AFP
Due to Worsening Security Situation Over 1 Mln Pak Children Go Unvaccinated for Polio
The worsening law, order and security situation during a three-day national polio immunisation campaign has forced over 1.3 million children in Pakistan to miss polio vaccination.
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 Polio-Free World by 2018 is a Distinct PossibilityMore than 400 eminent scientists from 80 countries are backing an ambitious global plan to eradicate polio. | Advertisement
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