WHO Extends Travel Restrictions on Pakistan Amid Ongoing Polio Concerns

Rising Polio Cases and Cross-Border Transmission Lead WHO to Extend Conditional Travel Limits for Another Three Months

Islamabad, August 1: The World Health Organization (WHO) has put off lifting travel bans on Pakistan for another three months, which is bad news for the country’s public health goals. The decision comes as the World Health Organization is still worried about the spread of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) within Pakistan’s borders.

The news came following the 42nd virtual meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee on Polio, which took place on June 18. Health officials from nations that have had polio made up the group. They said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are the main countries that make the world more likely to spread the poliovirus.

A Growing Concern: WHO said that the mobility of displaced people and frequent cross-border travel, notably between southern Afghanistan and important Pakistani areas like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Quetta Block, Karachi, and Peshawar, made it easier for WPV1 to spread.

The virus, which was almost gone, has discovered new strongholds in these locations, putting both local and foreign communities in great danger. A source from the WHO report said, “The rise in polio-positive sewage samples across Pakistan is a worrying sign of how deeply the virus is still present.”

The most recent report has a new case from Gilgit-Baltistan that is very concerning. It’s even worse that more and more kids are missing their vaccinations, which makes Pakistan’s already strong immunization efforts less effective.

Acknowledged Efforts, But Not Enough: WHO did recognize Pakistan’s continuous efforts, complimenting the government’s dedication and the quality of its immunization campaigns, but not enough. People praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his government for starting robust provincial and regional drives.

The WHO did say, nevertheless, that Pakistan is unlikely to reach its goal of getting rid of polio by 2025 under current conditions. The group stressed that “more needs to be done—right away.”

Looking ahead, the WHO has said that all those leaving Pakistan must continue to get polio vaccinations for the following three months. Surveillance will stay strict, and there will be a new assessment at the conclusion of this time period.

The committee also asked Pakistan and Afghanistan to keep working together and to step up their joint immunization operations and improve their monitoring systems.

Pakistan has come a long way in its war against polio, but it still has a long way to go. As the virus spreads and more people across the world look into the country’s situation, it needs to work even harder to not only repeal travel prohibitions but also protect future generations from a disease that the world promised to get rid of.