Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Kabul (BNA) World Health Organization announced that poliovirus was presently circulating only in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
WHO recently announced that the poliovirus that causes the persistence paralyzing of a baby has eradicated in Nigeria. Now, the people of Asia are doing their best to overcome the danger of this deadly virus. Earlier, only Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria were the countries where the virus was active.
20 years ago, at least 100 cases of polio been recorded in Nigeria and the country was at top of the least, while in 2014 there was only one case recorded.
Fortunately, in 2015 was no any cases of polio in Nigeria but Pakistan and Afghanistan are still suffering from polio problem.
The most polio cases have recorded in Baluchistan and Khaiber Pashtoonkhaw states of Pakistan. The polio cases in Afghanistan have recorded in provinces where share the same border with those Pakistani states.
Last year, polio cases registered in Afghan provinces’ where enjoy the same borders with those Pakistan states.
There were more than 100 cases of polio in Pakistan in 2013 and 2014 while there were less than five cases in Afghanistan.
According to politicians, the polio problem like terrorism and extremism is a common problem between the two countries. If we think deeply, there is a close tie between polio and terrorism because; terrorist’s circles are the main barrier on the way of implementing anti poliovirus vaccination programs in that country.
The problem of terrorist networks came to being and became serious when Shakel Ahamad the Pakistani doctor launching a fake polio vaccination determined the hideout of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and based on the information of that doctor, Osama was killed by American commandoes in his hideout.
While a couple of years have passed since the assassination of Osama, but the Al-Qaida and Taliban members still prevent anti polio vaccinations and targeted the volunteers of the programs and killed some of them. For this reason, polio is still a dangerous problem in tribal areas of both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Afghan authorities believe that the original source of poliovirus is in Pakistan but going and returning of refugees and open borders provided the ground for circulation of the virus in the area.
The authorities of public health ministry claim that they have already taken effective measures for eradication of poliovirus, among the measures they have established anti poliovirus vaccination centers along the borders and regularly assess the places in Khost province where Pakistani refugees are living.
What is a fact is that poliovirus still exists in Afghanistan and considers as a concerning problem in Afghan society.
Doctor Abdullah the executive chief of the country discussed the issue with the chief of Gatis Foundation that funds anti polio programs across the world.
The chief of the foundation insisted that he would continue his assistance to world organizations until the complete eradication of polio.
It is a clear fact that polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan related to security and the terrorist networks in the region. Therefore, in order to solve the problem, the two countries understanding their problems should honestly work and settle the problem of security caused by terrorist and extremist groups. Abdul Khalil Minawee
