The World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to extend travel restrictions on Pakistan for another three months due to ongoing concerns about the spread of poliovirus.
This decision was made during the 41st meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee, held on March 6, where representatives from polio-affected countries, including Pakistan, participated via video link.
The committee assessed the global polio situation, with a particular focus on Pakistan’s current status and efforts to curb the virus. Despite acknowledging progress in the country’s anti-polio campaigns, the WHO noted that Pakistan and Afghanistan remain key obstacles in the path to global polio eradication and continue to be held responsible for the ongoing international transmission of the poliovirus.
While the WHO expressed confidence in Pakistan’s polio initiatives, it stressed the need for enhanced implementation at the provincial and district levels. A major concern was the sharp rise in polio-positive environmental samples in Pakistan — a twelvefold increase reported between 2023 and 2024.
So far in 2024, 628 environmental samples have tested positive for poliovirus across the country, with the virus spreading to new districts. The active circulation of the YB3A4A B-cluster strain remains a significant issue, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, and Balochistan.
The cities of Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta have emerged as hotspots for the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), which continues to circulate in central Pakistan and southern KP. WHO expressed deep concern over this trend, especially since WPV1 is now largely confined to Pakistan and Afghanistan globally.
The organization also raised concerns about immunization coverage, particularly given the virus’s spread during the low transmission season and the expected increase in cases during the upcoming high transmission period.
WHO has urged the Pakistani government to ensure more effective polio campaigns in high-risk areas and highlighted the importance of addressing cross-border virus transmission, especially from southern KP and the Quetta block into Afghanistan.
The committee stressed that the movement of displaced persons and refugees is contributing to the virus’s spread. It called for enhanced vaccination efforts at Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossings and emphasized the need for strengthened bilateral coordination. Simultaneous anti-polio campaigns on both sides of the border were recommended as essential to breaking the chain of transmission.
