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Three new polio cases detected in Khyber Agency
BARA: Three new polio cases have been detected in Bara tehsil of the Khyber Agency where no polio campaign has been carried out since last September due to the ongoing military operation against the militants.
With the new cases, the number of polio victims reached 22 in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) during 2010. The three affected children including a girl were identified as Haroon, aged 8 months and resident of Mandikas, the 10-month old Habeeba, resident of Melward Akakhel, and Muhammad Arif, four years old and son of Rana Gul, resident of Naki in Tirah valley.
Talking to this correspondent, Agency Health and communication Support officer Dr Sher Ameen confirmed the cases. He said the stools of the three children had been sent to National Institute for Health (NIH) Islamabad three weeks back and three children were tested positive for poliovirus.
The WHO’s polio vaccination teams have repeatedly failed to achieve vaccination targets in large parts of northern Pakistan and Fata over the past few years due to anti-polio propaganda, growing militancy and counter-militancy operation. According to health department of Khyber Agency regular polio campaign were being carried out in Jamrud and Landikotal, two tehsil of Khyber Agency, and around 86000 children were vaccinated.
However, around 116000 children of Bara tehsil and Tirah valley could not be vaccinated for the last one year due to the ongoing military operation and imposition of curfew in certain localities. “We are considering alternate options including setting up of polio centres in different areas of Bara tehsil as well sending of transit teams to the troubled region in order to ensure maximum vaccination of the children,” said an official of Fata health directorate.
Our correspondent adds from Mingora: Pakistan has the highest incidence of polio in the world as 40 cases were detected in the first eight months of 2010 and the disease could rise further among children after the recent floods, warned an official of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday.
During a press conference, WHO national officer Dr Mahboob said the parents must immunise their children against the polio as the viral disease could leave children disabled forever. He said polio had been controlled all over the world except in India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan.
He said detection of 40 cases of polio during 2010 in Pakistan made it the number one country in the world for polio incidence, though previously Pakistan was at the third place. He explained that this year, two polio cases were detected in Punjab, one in Sindh, seven in Balochistan, 11 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 18 in tribal areas.
The official said since February no case of polio-infected patient had been reported in Swat, yet the parents must be cautious and immunize the children in the wake of the recent floods.
He added that despite odds in the prevailing situation the polio immunisation drive would be launched in Swat during September. During the press conference, Ulema urged the parents to immunise their children.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/27-08-2010/peshawar/
Eye infection on the rise in Jamrud
JAMRUD: A growing number of people are suffering from conjunctivitis and approaching doctors for treatment of the eye infection in Jamrud subdivision of Khyber Agency, a doctor said on Wednesday.
Medical officer at Tehsil Hospital in Jamrud Dr Shakeel Khan said the disease was contagious. He advised the affected persons to consult physicians for treatment and wash their eyes with cold water frequently besides avoiding sunlight. He said the affected people should visit Jamrud Tehsil Hospital for treatment and receive medicines free of cost.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/27-08-2010/peshawar/1492.htm
Waterborne diseases on the rise in Kohat
KOHAT: Scores of people including children and women have been admitted to hospitals in Kohat division for treatment of conjunctivitis, an infectious eye disease, and other waterborne ailments, doctors said on Tuesday.
They said there were no arrangements to drain out stagnant water of flood and rains in Kohat city and its adjoining areas, which had caused the outbreak of eye and waterborne diseases. They said around 4,900 people were suffering from eye infection while 3,100 affectees of waterborne diseases had also been hospitalised.
A child specialist at Children and Women Hospital Kohat Dr Mehar Ali said that conjunctivitis and other waterborne diseases had broken out in the wake of recent floods. He said they were receiving 150 to 200 children affected by such diseases on a daily basis. An eye specialist at District Headquarters Hospital, Dr Irfanullah, said conjunctivitis had spread rapidly in the area, adding that their team of doctors examined more than 5,000 patients, mostly children and women.
Gastroenteritis and conjunctivitis have turned almost into epidemic as many people are suffering from the two ailments in Kohat. The doctors have advised people to drink boiled water to prevent waterborne diseases and wash the infected eyes with cold water.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/27-08-2010/peshawar/1503.htm
With the new cases, the number of polio victims reached 22 in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) during 2010. The three affected children including a girl were identified as Haroon, aged 8 months and resident of Mandikas, the 10-month old Habeeba, resident of Melward Akakhel, and Muhammad Arif, four years old and son of Rana Gul, resident of Naki in Tirah valley.
Talking to this correspondent, Agency Health and communication Support officer Dr Sher Ameen confirmed the cases. He said the stools of the three children had been sent to National Institute for Health (NIH) Islamabad three weeks back and three children were tested positive for poliovirus.
The WHO’s polio vaccination teams have repeatedly failed to achieve vaccination targets in large parts of northern Pakistan and Fata over the past few years due to anti-polio propaganda, growing militancy and counter-militancy operation. According to health department of Khyber Agency regular polio campaign were being carried out in Jamrud and Landikotal, two tehsil of Khyber Agency, and around 86000 children were vaccinated.
However, around 116000 children of Bara tehsil and Tirah valley could not be vaccinated for the last one year due to the ongoing military operation and imposition of curfew in certain localities. “We are considering alternate options including setting up of polio centres in different areas of Bara tehsil as well sending of transit teams to the troubled region in order to ensure maximum vaccination of the children,” said an official of Fata health directorate.
Our correspondent adds from Mingora: Pakistan has the highest incidence of polio in the world as 40 cases were detected in the first eight months of 2010 and the disease could rise further among children after the recent floods, warned an official of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday.
During a press conference, WHO national officer Dr Mahboob said the parents must immunise their children against the polio as the viral disease could leave children disabled forever. He said polio had been controlled all over the world except in India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan.
He said detection of 40 cases of polio during 2010 in Pakistan made it the number one country in the world for polio incidence, though previously Pakistan was at the third place. He explained that this year, two polio cases were detected in Punjab, one in Sindh, seven in Balochistan, 11 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 18 in tribal areas.
The official said since February no case of polio-infected patient had been reported in Swat, yet the parents must be cautious and immunize the children in the wake of the recent floods.
He added that despite odds in the prevailing situation the polio immunisation drive would be launched in Swat during September. During the press conference, Ulema urged the parents to immunise their children.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/27-08-2010/peshawar/
Eye infection on the rise in Jamrud
JAMRUD: A growing number of people are suffering from conjunctivitis and approaching doctors for treatment of the eye infection in Jamrud subdivision of Khyber Agency, a doctor said on Wednesday.
Medical officer at Tehsil Hospital in Jamrud Dr Shakeel Khan said the disease was contagious. He advised the affected persons to consult physicians for treatment and wash their eyes with cold water frequently besides avoiding sunlight. He said the affected people should visit Jamrud Tehsil Hospital for treatment and receive medicines free of cost.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/27-08-2010/peshawar/1492.htm
Waterborne diseases on the rise in Kohat
KOHAT: Scores of people including children and women have been admitted to hospitals in Kohat division for treatment of conjunctivitis, an infectious eye disease, and other waterborne ailments, doctors said on Tuesday.
They said there were no arrangements to drain out stagnant water of flood and rains in Kohat city and its adjoining areas, which had caused the outbreak of eye and waterborne diseases. They said around 4,900 people were suffering from eye infection while 3,100 affectees of waterborne diseases had also been hospitalised.
A child specialist at Children and Women Hospital Kohat Dr Mehar Ali said that conjunctivitis and other waterborne diseases had broken out in the wake of recent floods. He said they were receiving 150 to 200 children affected by such diseases on a daily basis. An eye specialist at District Headquarters Hospital, Dr Irfanullah, said conjunctivitis had spread rapidly in the area, adding that their team of doctors examined more than 5,000 patients, mostly children and women.
Gastroenteritis and conjunctivitis have turned almost into epidemic as many people are suffering from the two ailments in Kohat. The doctors have advised people to drink boiled water to prevent waterborne diseases and wash the infected eyes with cold water.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/27-08-2010/peshawar/1503.htm
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