Polio &Refugee &Vaccine Bill Brieger | 24 Aug 2024 08:16 am
Rise of polio cases amid Afghan Refugee Crisis
According to MinahHAli, polio is still with us as seen in this posting about polio challenges in the class blog of the course, Social and Behavioral Foundations of Primary Health Care at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Image Source: UNHCR
After a much-desired decrease of polio cases in Pakistan, the recent increase in cases reported has been alarming. This latest surge coincided with the Afghan Refugee Crisis in Pakistan, showcasing the impact of government policies in the success of polio eradication.
What is Polio? Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, is a viral disease which affects nerves in the spinal cord or brain stem leading to paralysis and death in some cases. Poliovirus rapidly spreads either via feces or droplets from coughing/sneezing. Polio mainly affects unvaccinated children.
Why are Polio vaccination initiatives focused on Pakistan and Afghanistan? Are all polio cases the same? Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries in the world which consistently report polio cases. Despite spending $9.3 billion over the course of 10 years (2013-2023) polio cases remain present in Pakistan. According to WHO, Polio cases in Afghanistan can be traced back to one variant: YB3A. However, recently polio cases in Pakistan are now also from YB3A variant.
Image Source: CNN
What is the Afghan Refugee Crisis and how is it fueling the spread of polio? Pakistan is the largest host country for Afghan refugees since 1979 post-Soviet invasion. In 2019, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination in Pakistan, along with UNHCR, promised healthcare which included polio vaccination to Afghan refugees. However, due to increased security threats recently near the Pak-Afghan border these efforts have stopped.
Due to attacks on Pakistani soil which have been linked to Afghan terrorist groups, the Federal Government of Pakistan is currently forcibly relocated Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan. Due to this, many Afghans refugees refuse to seek healthcare in the fear of being reported and deported.
Why are the polio eradication programs failing? The political climate in Pakistan, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which borders Afghanistan, is tense; heightened insecurity, fueled with tribal conflicts amongst Pakistanis and Afghanis residing in the area is making polio vaccination programs “almost impossible”, according to polio eradication lead at Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
By neglecting the on-going polio spread amongst Afghan refugees, Poliovirus is making its way into Pakistani citizens/communities. It is imperative that the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, as well as the provincial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government increase their efforts for polio vaccination- regardless of immigration status.