When the whole world was busy controlling the coronavirus, in the meantime his attention was diverted from such a deadly virus, which is 4 times smaller than the corona in size but spreads 4 times faster than that. The name of this virus is polio, due to which the human war continues for thousands of years. Due to the civil war-like situation in Afghanistan and floods in Pakistan, cases of polio have increased in both countries this year. Due to this, there is a danger of spreading the virus in India, especially in Rajasthan adjacent to the border.
Today, when it seemed that we are close to winning the war against this virus and its name is about to be eradicated from the whole earth, then suddenly once again the fear of polio has increased from America, Europe to India. New York has declared an emergency after getting the virus. Afraid that it might turn around.
Why alarm bells rang all over the world
In 2022, poliovirus has been found in the sewage water of 3 districts (counties) of New York. The first case came to light in July, in which a 20-year-old youth was paralyzed in his legs. Earlier in June, poliovirus was found in sewage water in London too. A vaccination campaign to prevent polio has started in America.
In other countries, preparations are going on to protect against the virus. This virus has also been found in sewage in Kolkata. At the same time, till October 25 in 2022, 20 cases of polio were reported in Pakistan and 2 in Afghanistan. Let us tell you that in the surveillance system made for polio all over the world, sewer water is sampled and tested.
Millions of children could not get medicine due to Kovid
According to UNICEF8, because of Kovid, the attention of the whole world was focused on fighting it. In such a situation, 23 million children worldwide could not get polio medicine on time. These include 40 lakh children from Pakistan and India. If vaccination could not be done, then the immunity of people to fight the virus also became weak and the virus started spreading.
This is the reason why the whole world including WHO has come into alert mode and steps are being taken in a hurry. If there is even the slightest carelessness, the battle that has been going on for 70 years will be reversed. Billions of rupees spent to protect against polio and the hard work of millions of people will be wasted.
If a single child is left in the world, then the safety cycle is broken.
The slogan of the polio campaign is - 'Ek child left - resolution is broken.' Why is this so, explains Deepak Kapoor, chairperson of Rotary International India's National Polio Plus Committee, as long as there is no one in any part of the world. Until the polio virus is present in the child, no country in the world will be safe and the risk of re-spreading of the disease will continue to loom over the world.
In such a situation, there is only one way to prevent polio, every child up to 5 years of age should be given medicine regularly.
Rajasthan most at risk from Pakistan's polio
After the cases of polio were reported in Pakistan, the danger in Rajasthan increased the most. Despite the closure of the Thar Express train, people still come to India from Pakistan via Barmer and Jodhpur. Barmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, and Alwar are still considered the most vulnerable districts of the country in terms of polio.
Being close to the Pakistan border, Rajasthan has always been under threat of polio. In such a situation, the central government and health agencies are on alert. In this episode, in June itself, the vaccination campaign to protect against polio started in many states including these 4 districts. The last case of polio in Rajasthan was reported in the year 2009.
Why is there so much concern in India because of Pakistan, it can be understood from an incident in China. In 2011, suddenly new cases of polio began to appear in China's Xinjiang province, which had been freed from this disease. Investigation revealed that the polio virus had arrived there from Pakistan.
No entry from India to Pakistan-Afghanistan without vaccination
Vaccination campaigns were carried out on the borders at the time of the exodus from Afghanistan. People coming from Pakistan and Afghanistan are required to show a polio vaccination certificate to enter India. For those who do not have this certificate, it is mandatory to get vaccinated against polio.
This has been done because India has won the battle against polio with great difficulty. Without polio vaccination, coming from outside can increase the risk of disease in the country.
The world believed that India was the country where polio would be the most difficult to eradicate. In 2009, 741 cases were reported in India, while 1,606 cases were found all over the world. But, in the very next year 2010, the number of polio infected in India came down to 42, while 1,352 cases were found all over the world.
Polio traces found in mummy
According to historians, in three-and-a-half thousand-year-old paintings of Egypt, children suffering from polio are shown walking with the help of sticks.
An inscription from 1570 to 1342 BC depicts a priest from ancient Egypt with his right leg in the grip of paralysis.
Similar symptoms were seen in the mummy of an Egyptian emperor from 1342 to 1197 BC. This emperor was handicapped in his left leg.
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