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'Polio a huge embarrassment for Pakistan'
Friday March 23, 2012 11:34:45 AM,
IANS
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Islamabad: Pakistan
has been "infamous the world over for exporting terrorism" and now
there are fears of it exporting the polio virus to other
countries, a leading daily said Friday, noting that India had been
able to contain the disease.
An editorial in the Daily Times said that the poor results of the
polio eradication programme had led the World Health Organisation
(WHO) to warn that Pakistan might face travel, visa and other
sanctions if it fails to control the virus.
"The situation is indeed alarming as Saudi Arabia has already made
the vaccination mandatory for Pakistani pilgrims before they leave
Pakistan to avoid transmission of the virus to their country.
Other countries are also thinking of following suit, which could
create problems for Pakistani travellers," it said.
"It is also a matter of huge embarrassment for Pakistan as it is
one of only two countries in the world where this disease is still
prevalent. Even our neighbouring country India, with over one
billion population, has been successful in containing polio," the
editorial added.
The daily cautioned that the people of Pakistan are still under
threat and also posing a serious threat to the people living
across the globe as the polio eradication programme has not been
effectively implemented.
It said the government has to seriously tackle the misperception
among some sections of the public about the polio vaccine, "which
some benighted people characterize as a conspiracy to render
Muslims infertile".
Stating the issue is serious and directly related to the life and
health of children, the editorial said that the nation cannot
"afford any neglect or corruption in this regard".
"Our country has been infamous the world over for exporting
terrorism and now the world is disturbed over the possible export
of the polio virus from Pakistan to their countries. We need to
work tirelessly to improve this situation," it added.
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