Pakistan-Outbreak of polio feared over next few months

KARACHI, June 20: While only three cases of polio have been reported across the province since the year’s beginning, an upsurge is feared during the next four months, said Dr Rizwana Memon, a senior polio officer, while speaking at a workshop on Wednesday.
The media workshop on healthcare issues of children-polio was jointly organised by the Karachi Press Club, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and a non-governmental organisation, Mishal Pakistan.
Dr Memon, who is deputy project manager of the expanded programme on immuisation in Sindh, appealed to all stakeholders to remain alert this summer as the next few months were critical as far as a polio outbreak was concerned.
She said the fact that Sindh had reported only three out of 22 polio cases in the country was relatively a comfortable situation. “However, if we see the trend of new polio cases reporting in the previous years, it can be safely said that July to October are peak months for the spread of polio virus in the province,” she said.
To fight and eradicate the dreaded virus, there was a crucial need to remain cautious and continue with the serious efforts, she reiterated.
Combined efforts of all the stakeholders, including planners, field executers, vaccinators and volunteers, were required to achieve desired results, she ..

http://dawn.com/2012/06/21/outbreak-of-polio-feared-over-next-few-months/