ISLAMABAD – Expressing grave concern over “significant increase” in poliocases in Pakistan, the International Health Regulations (IHR) EmergencyCommittee has extended its travel restrictions on Pakistan for anotherthree months to check the spread of polio virus in the South Asian country.
The International Health Regulations, or IHR (2005), represent an agreementbetween 196 countries including all WHO Member States to work together forglobal health security.
The extension of travel restrictions came during the twenty-first meetingof the Emergency Committee, convened by the World Health Organization(WHO), regarding the international spread of polio virus at WHOheadquarters, according to a statement.
A total of 20 cases have been recorded in Pakistan this year to date.
The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild polio virus (WPV1) andcirculating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV). The Secretariat presenteda report of progress for affected IHR States Parties subject to TemporaryRecommendations.
The following IHR States Parties provided an update on the currentsituation and the implementation of the WHO Temporary Recommendations sincethe Committee last met on 19 February 2019: Afghanistan, DR Congo,Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Somalia.
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The committee commended all countries that presented on the quality ofinformation provided, and the transparency with which countries discussedtheir challenges.
“The Committee is gravely concerned by the significant further increase inWPV1 cases globally in 2019, particularly in Pakistan where 15 cases havealready been reported,” reads the statement.
“In Pakistan transmission continues to be widespread, as indicated by thenumber of positive environmental isolates in many areas of the country, andthe proportion of samples that detect WPV1 is rising. The recent cluster ofcases in Lahore also indicates that vulnerabilities still exist outside thehigh-risk corridors.”
