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Polio jab on anvil before you fly abroad

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  • Polio jab on anvil before you fly abroad

    Polio jab on anvil before you fly abroad
    Bienvenue sur The Statesman, votre blog généraliste préféré. Découvrez des articles variés sur l'actualité, la culture, les voyages, la technologie, la santé et bien plus encore.


    Savita Verma
    NEW DELHI, May 14

    With the goal of polio eradication still eluding the world, the World Health Assembly, which opened today for a 10-day session, may adopt a resolution recommending polio vaccination for all international travellers from countries where polio transmission is still on.

    Currently, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only countries where polio transmission is on.

    Polio would be top on the agenda of the 60th World Health Assembly, which opened today in Geneva.

    The Assembly is being attended by delegations from the 193 member states. An Indian delegation led by the health minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, has already left for Geneva.

    Dr Ramadoss is accompanied by officials and scientists, ministry officials said. ?Limiting the international spread of polio is to be discussed at World Health Assembly,? WHO officials told The Statesman from Geneva.

    Polio would be discussed on Tuesday and Wednesday, they said, and added that WHA is expected to adopt a resolution on intensification of polio eradication efforts.

    The resolution may ask travellers from countries including India, where poliovirus is circulating, to be fully immunised against polio before international travel.

    The recommendation is also expected to become part of the International Health Regulations (2005), which are to come into force in June 2007.

    The resolution would ask countries to make policies so that travellers from polio free countries are vaccinated against polio before they travel to countries where polio virus is circulating.

    The steps are in recognition of the need for international consensus on long-term policies to minimise and manage the risks of re-emergence of polio in the post-eradication era.

    International spread of wild poliovirus had emerged as a major concern last year.

    In 2006, six per cent of all new cases of polio occurred in countries into which poliovirus had been reintroduced. India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan were the only countries which had not succeeded in interrupting indigenous transmission of wild poliovirus.

    Poliovirus which originated in India caused outbreaks in Angola, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia and Nepal while poliovirus that originated in northern Nigeria caused cases or outbreaks in Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Niger, Somalia and Yemen.

    Together these four countries accounted for 94 per cent of all new cases of polio. India reported 672 cases with Bihar and UP continuing to have endemic transmission. Nigeria had 1,119 cases, Afghanistan 31 and Pakistan, 40.

    WHO had recommended all travellers to countries where polio is known to be circulating should be fully vaccinated against the disease.

    Saudi Arabia had issued a directive requiring all travellers aged less than 15 from countries with recent or ongoing circulation of polioviruses, and all travelers from Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan, regardless of age, to provide proof of vaccination before an entry visa could be issued.
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