WHO extends travel restrictions on Pakistan

The World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to extend travel restrictions on Pakistan due to concerns over polio for three months.

The decision was taken in WHO Emergency Committee’s 41st meeting held on March 6, during which authorities from polio-affected countries participated via video link.

According to WHO, the committee reviewed the global spread of polio, as well as the situation in Pakistan and the government’s efforts to control the virus.

The committee’s findings state that Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to pose a threat to global polio eradication efforts. Both countries have been held responsible for the ongoing international spread of the poliovirus.

While the WHO expressed satisfaction with Pakistan’s anti-polio initiatives and showed confidence in the quality of its campaigns, the committee noted that there is still room for improvement at the provincial and district levels.

Alarmingly, there has been a significant rise in polio-positive environmental samples in Pakistan, with a twelvefold increase in cases reported between 2023 and 2024.

This year alone, 628 polio-positive environmental samples have been reported across the country, with new districts also affected by the wild poliovirus.

The active circulation of the YB3A4A B-cluster of the poliovirus in Pakistan remains a concern, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, and Balochistan.

Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta have become hotspots for the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), which continues to spread in central areas of Pakistan and southern KP.

Read more: Poliovirus detected in Rawalpindi’s environmental sample

The WHO expressed deep concern over the spread of WPV1 in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, noting that globally, the virus is now largely confined to these two countries.

The organization also raised questions about the immunization standards in Pakistan, especially given the troubling spread of the virus during the low transmission season and the anticipated rise in cases during the high transmission period.

The WHO has urged Pakistan to ensure effective campaigns in vulnerable areas and emphasized that cross-border transmission between Pakistan and Afghanistan continues, particularly from southern KP and the Quetta block.

The spread is further exacerbated by the movement of displaced persons and refugees.

The committee called for improved vaccination efforts at Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossings and stressed the need for strengthened bilateral cooperation. Simultaneous anti-polio campaigns in both countries, especially in border areas, were deemed essential.