1Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
2Dubai Medical College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Dec 2;104(2):446-448. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1438.
Poliomyelitis, a crippling viral disease, has been affecting many children in Pakistan despite the numerous efforts that have been taken to curb its spread. The COVID-19 pandemic has halted mass polio vaccination campaigns globally, including Pakistan, resulting in a resurgence of new cases. Pakistan managed to flatten the COVID-19 curve from July to October that made three immunization drives possible, but the COVID-19 cases are on the rise again which can again complicate the polio situation in the country if left unmonitored. The efforts of Pakistan have been effective with no significant rise in polio cases in 2020 as compared with 2019. We discuss the numerous challenges faced by the polio eradication program in Pakistan. To help eliminate polio, Pakistan needs to enhance its efforts in the struggle against polio with the same zeal and stringency used to flatten the curve of COVID-19 in these challenging times.
脊髓灰质炎，一种致残的病毒性疾病，尽管已经采取了许多措施来遏制其传播，但仍在影响巴基斯坦的许多儿童。全球范围内，包括巴基斯坦在内的 COVID-19 大流行已经停止了大规模的脊髓灰质炎疫苗接种运动，导致新病例的出现。巴基斯坦成功地在 7 月至 10 月期间使 COVID-19 曲线变平，从而进行了三次免疫接种运动，但 COVID-19 病例再次上升，如果不加以监测，这可能再次使该国的脊髓灰质炎局势复杂化。与 2019 年相比，巴基斯坦在 2020 年的脊髓灰质炎病例没有明显增加，这表明其努力是有效的。我们讨论了巴基斯坦在根除脊髓灰质炎计划中面临的诸多挑战。为了帮助消除脊髓灰质炎，巴基斯坦需要在与脊髓灰质炎的斗争中加强努力，其热情和严格程度应与在这些充满挑战的时期使 COVID-19 曲线变平的努力相匹配。
