The polio campaign in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been postponed after the provincial government declined to provide security to the polio team, 24NewsHD TV Channel reported on Thursday.

According to the details, the sources said that the polio campaign was scheduled for April 29, 2024, in KP but the provincial government apologized to the federal government for providing security for the polio campaign.

The sources said that the KP government has informed the federation about the postponement of the polio campaign and said that the KP police force is not available for the polio campaign due to the by-elections scheduled on April 28 in the province.

The sources said that the polio campaign in KP will now be conducted in 833 union councils of 26 districts next month from May 6.

Pertinent to mention here that yester, the World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to prolong travel restrictions on Pakistan for an additional three months due to concerns over the polio virus.

The WHO Emergency Committee on Polio recommended the extension of travel restrictions, citing Pakistan and Afghanistan as responsible for the global transmission of the polio virus.

According to the declaration of the WHO, ongoing transmission of the virus between the two countries has been observed.

A notable increase in polio cases has been detected in sewage samples across Pakistan, with Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta identified as high-risk areas for the virus.

The WHO also expressed concern over the lack of polio vaccination among children in Afghanistan, posing a threat to Pakistan. The cross-border movement of refugees has been identified as a factor in the transfer of polio between the two countries, emphasizing the need for improved vaccination at Pak-Afghan border crossings.

As a result of the extended travel restrictions, individuals travelling abroad from Pakistan will be required to provide proof of polio vaccination.

Pakistan's efforts in polio surveillance will be reviewed by WHO after the three-month extension.
It's worth noting that travel restrictions were initially imposed on Pakistan in May 2014 due to the polio outbreak

Reporter: Babar Shehzad