Polio on the Rise in Pakistan, More New Polio Cases Reported Than in 2012

Polio is disturbingly on the rise in Pakistan and health officials say the number of fresh polio infections in 2013 has already passed the total for the whole of 2012.

Polio is disturbingly on the rise in Pakistan and health officials said Wednesday the number of fresh polio infections in 2013 had already passed the total for the whole of 2012.

Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world where the highly infectious disease which cripples limbs remains endemic.

Poliomyelitis - About
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

Opposition from militant groups has hampered efforts to vaccinate children against polio in Pakistan and officials said violence was part of the reason for the increase in cases.

"Last year there were a total of 58 cases, but 62 fresh victims of polio have already been reported in 2013," a senior government official, who works with international donors working to eradicate polio, told AFP.

Six cases were in eastern Punjab province, four in Sindh in the south and nine in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but by far the bulk of the infections -- 43 -- were in the tribal areas along the Afghan border.

World Polio Day - �Stop Polio Forever�
Global polio eradication programs have significantly cut the incidence of the disease, yet it is an apt time to take stock of what remains to be done to ‘Stop Polio Forever’.

The Pakistani Taliban banned polio vaccinations in the tribal region of Waziristan last year, alleging the campaign was a cover for espionage.

"The main reason for the outbreak is militancy in the northwest. Vaccination teams are unable to reach the tribal areas because of risks to their lives," the official said.

Immunization
Protect your child from various deadly diseases by giving the vaccinations at the right age. This tool helps you schedule the vaccinations of your child.

Polio cases reached a low of 28 in 2005 but have risen since, reaching a peak of 198 in 2011.

In August health officials warned of a serious polio outbreak in the northwest, saying more than 240,000 children had missed vaccination because of the Taliban ban.

Development Milestone
Medindia offers a milestone chart for the growing child, by which we can determine the activities of the baby at various stages of the growth.

Elsewhere in the country, health workers giving out polio drops have been attacked and killed, including in the largest city Karachi.

On Monday the World Health Organization linked an outbreak of polio in Syria that has paralysed 13 children to a strain of the virus from Pakistan.

Source-AFP