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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned Pakistan that it could face global screening if it fails to keep proper vaccination record of outbound travellers.
The WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR) panel has asked Pakistan to ensure that no traveller leaves the country without valid polio certification and directed it to maintain a proper record of all passengers that were stopped from leaving the country, vaccinated and produced valid documentation.
The IHR’s Emergency Committee took these decisions while deliberating the international spread of wild poliovirus in 2014.
The committee has declared Pakistan responsible for continuous international spread of polio, adding that Pakistan has exported three polio cases to Afghanistan since July 31, 2014.
“The risk of new international spread from Pakistan was assessed to have increased substantively since July 31, 2014, as cases have escalated during the current high transmission season. There has been no significant improvement in the underlying factors that are driving transmission,” said the IHR committee.
It suggested Pakistan restrict at the point of departure the international travel of any resident lacking documentation of appropriate polio vaccination.
“Pakistan should note that the recommendation stated previously for urgent travel remains valid,” it said.
The IHR said in advance of its next meeting, Pakistan should provide to the director-general a report on the implementation by month of the temporary recommendations on international travel, including the number of residents whose travel was restricted and the number of travellers who were vaccinated and provided appropriate documentation at the point of departure.
Responding to reservations expressed by the IHR committee, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar said no new travel regulations have been imposed on the country due to all out efforts made to curtail the spread of polio globally. She claimed that all passengers moving abroad are being vaccinated for polio at designated hospitals and entry points for passengers. She said all the data required by WHO was provided to it.
However, PM Polio Cell’s focul person Ayesha Raza Farooq confirmed the IHR committee has asked Pakistan to be more stringent with the implementation of travel sanctions imposed on it.
“There were some loopholes in the issuance of polio certificate which Pakistan has realised and is making efforts to improve it,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2014.
