Fearing the outbreak of polio cases in the neighbouring countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Telangana health department has taken precautionary steps to avert any cases of polio spread to the state, as there is a growing ‘in and out flow’ of people from Hyderabad to other countries.
To ward off the menace of polio, the Indian government in coordination with the state governments have effectively implemented the polio vaccination programme since past few decades and achieved the status of polio free country in the world since past 3 consecutive years.
In fact the WHO has certified the entire South-East Asia region, which is home to a quarter of the world’s population, polio-free in 2014. But with the latest outbreaks of polio cases in the neighbouring countries, it is time that India needs to take precautionary steps to avert any spread of the virus to the country.
In order to prevent strains of polio virus from entering the country, 10 polio vaccination posts have been established at all district headquarters with district immunisation officer (DIO) as district nodal officer. One such centre has also been set up at Hyderabad international airport.
All international travellers, irrespective of age group, travelling to and coming from other countries will receive oral polio vaccine (OPV) six weeks prior to departure.
With ongoing polio outbreaks in Pakistan and Afghanistan and having enormous migration to Middle-East countries, the threat is getting bigger and bigger, official sources said.
Officials sources at the health department said, Telangana has been consistently conducting pulse polio campaigns successfully since 1995. About 43 lakh children in the age group of zero to five years are being administered polio drops during each pulse polio campaigns. The last case of polio was detected on July 3, 2007. However, the state has been making all possible efforts to maintain polio-free status achieved in 2007. Under ‘Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan’ to Polio importation, Mahbubnagar district has been poised as high risk and Rangareddy district as medium risk in the state. All the necessary steps to detect polio cases have been taken, said the official.