In new setback for eradication campaign, poliovirus from Pakistan shows up in Africa

Health officials hope to squash outbreak quickly.
A wild poliovirus has made a leap from Pakistan to the African continent, where it has paralyzed a 3-year-old girl in Malawi—the first wild polio case in the country since 1992.
The case, announced on 17 February by the Malawi government, is the latest setback for the global campaign to end polio once and for all. But the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) hopes it can limit the damage by stopping the outbreak quickly. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries that are endemic for the wild virus, which means circulation there has never stopped. Occasionally, the virus spills over from these entrenched reservoirs. The last “exportation” from the region was in 2013, when a virus from Pakistan sparked an outbreak in Syria.
Africa is battling big outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio, which occur in areas of low immunization when the live but attenuated virus in the oral polio vaccine reverts and regains its ability to paralyze and spread. But the last known case of wild polio on the continent occurred in 2016 in Borno state in Nigeria, and Africa was officially certified free of wild poliovirus in August 2020.
Because polio spreads quickly and “silently”—just about one in 200 infected children becomes paralyzed—even a single detection of the virus is considered an outbreak. But GPEI has a history of quashing these imported outbreaks quickly with rapid vaccination campaigns; the goal is to stop them within 6 months, before the virus becomes entrenched.
The girl, who lives in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, was paralyzed on 19 November 2021. Through sequence analysis of her poliovirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the regional reference lab in South Africa have just confirmed she was struck by a relative of wild type 1 poliovirus that circulated in Sindh province in Pakistan in October 2019. The new case means the virus has been lurking undetected since then.
GPEI analysts don’t know yet when the virus arrived in Malawi and how far it may have spread. The quality of polio surveillance in Malawi has slipped during the COVID-19 pandemic. GPEI is also assessing the risk of spread to other countries, because there is a lot of population movement from Malawi to Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania. And it is figuring out the vaccination strategy—which vaccine to use, and how broadly.
Although Malawi is now considered a “wild-polio–affected country,” the African continent will still be considered free of wild poliovirus unless it circulates for 12 months or more.
The case shows, again, that “polio anywhere is a threat to children everywhere,” says John Vertefeuille, a CDC polio specialist. “One child paralyzed is one too many and it is a tragedy for the girl and her family,” adds Aidan O’Leary, director of GPEI, which is based at the World Health Organization’s headquarters in Geneva. “It simply underscores the importance of prioritizing immunization activities everywhere while focusing on permanently interrupting polio transmission in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
https://www.science.org/content/article/new-setback-eradication-campaign-poliovirus-pakistan-shows-africa

In 1st, Israeli Navy joins huge US-led exercise; Saudi Arabia, Pakistan participate

 By JUDAH ARI GROSS 

Israeli, US officers hail growing cooperation between IDF and 5th Fleet; dozens of countries join IMX drill, focused on undersea warfare, including some Israel has no ties with

The Israeli Navy on Thursday wrapped up its participation in the US Navy’s massive IMX exercise, in which dozens of countries took part, including several with which Israel does not have formal ties.
This was Israel’s first time participating in the International Maritime Exercise, as it increasingly cooperates with the US military’s Central Command and its 5th Fleet, which operates in the waterways around the Middle East.“The participation of the Navy in the American exercise demonstrates the strengthening connection between our fleets, based on power, mutual learning, and strategic partnership. We are coordinated and working together with our American partners to prevent terror in the maritime arena and to strengthen the security of the region’s waters,” Israeli Navy chief David Salama said in a statement.
The head of the US 5th Fleet, Admiral Brad Cooper, who over the past month has met with Salama, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, similarly hailed the growing ties between the two navies.
“This joint exercise demonstrates our determination to protect international law and order. This is a special opportunity to expand our interoperability as we strengthen our naval ties,” Cooper said.
In the IMX exercise, the Israeli Navy says it trained with the 5th Fleet, simulating neutralizing naval mines, above- and under-water search-and-rescue operations, as well as conducting medical exercises at sea. On the Israeli side, the navy’s 3rd Flotilla, which operates missile ships, the 915th Patrol Boats Squadron, and the Unit for Underwater Fighting, known by its Hebrew acronym YALTAM, took part in the exercise, which was held in the Red Sea.
According to the US Navy, in total, more than 9,000 people from 60 militaries took part in the IMX, which kicked off on January 31. Participants include a number of countries that Israel does not have formal ties with, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen and Pakistan, as well as several countries with which Israel recently normalized relations, like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which hosts the US 5th Fleet.
The biennial drill was launched in 2012 and has become “the largest multinational naval exercise in the Middle East,” according to the US Navy.
In November, the Israeli Navy participated in a 5th Fleet-led exercise in the Red Sea, alongside the UAE and Bahrain in what Israeli officials said was meant to serve as a response to recent attacks by Iran against Israeli naval assets.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-1st-israeli-navy-joins-huge-us-led-exercise-saudi-arabia-pakistan-participate/

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s message on World Day Of Social Justice

 Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has reiterated the commitment of his Party for enforcement and implementation of social justice for every strata of Pakistani society adding that ensuring social justice was key to a peaceful, progressive and prosperous country.

In his message on the eve of World Day of Social Justice 2022, the Chairman said that social justice is the cornerstone of the PPP’s ideology and struggle. We have been working for the empowerment of women, labour,  youth, and vulnerable segments of our population because. Whenever the PPP is in power it delivers social justice to the people.
He said that through a long history of sacrifices against injustices his Party has become a source of inspiration for the victims of social injustices among every sphere of society. Our political and administrative decisions, while in power have helped the weak and vulnerable to start dreaming a better future for themselves.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Party Founder Prime Minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto launched a movement against social inequality and won one-man one-vote for the first time in Pakistan. Prime Minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was dragged from court to court for providing employment to the unemployed youth. She started revolutionary mother and child health initiatives. President Asif Ali Zardari began Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which has been internationally acclaimed as a model social security step.
PPP Chairman further pointed out that his Party took various decisions politically. These decisions ultimately promoted social justice and empowered the segments who had been prey for exclusions in history.
He announced that PPP will launch an Awami Long March from February 27 against unbearable inflation hitting hard the poor, who has been dragged into poverty by the selected and puppet regime of Imran Khan. Every Pakistani who stands for social justice has the responsibility to join us to free the nation from the clutches of poverty, inflation, unemployment, extremism, and victimisation, he appealed.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pledged that his Party will continue to be a thunderous voice for the voiceless for our Party was founded to play a historic role in transforming Pakistan into a role-model Muslim country with a peaceful, egalitarian and vibrant democratic society.

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26306/

سماجی انصاف کو یقینی بنانا ملک کو پرامن، ترقی پسند اور خوشحال بنانے کی چابی ہے۔ چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری

 پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے اپنی جماعت کی جانب سے معاشرے کے ہر طبقے کو سماجی انصاف فراہم کرنے کے عزم کا اعادہ کرتے ہوئے کہا ہے کہ سماجی انصاف کو یقینی بنانا ملک کو پرامن، ترقی پسند اور خوشحال بنانے کی چابی ہے۔ عالمی یوم سماجی انصاف کے موقعے پر جاری کردہ اپنے پیغام میں پی پی پی چیئرمین نے کہا کہ سماجی انصاف ہی پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے نظریے اور جدوجہد کا سنگ بنیاد ہے۔ ہم خواتین، محنت کشوں، نوجوانوں اور اپنی معاشرے کے کمزور طبقات کو بااختیار بنانے کے لیے سرگرمِ عمل ہیں۔

 پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کی جب بھی حکومت آتی ہے، تو وہ عوام کو سماجی انصاف فراہم کرتی ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ ناانصافیوں کے خلاف قربانیوں کی ایک طویل تاریخ کے بعد ان کی جماعت اب معاشرے کے ہر طبقے میں سماجی ناانصافیوں کے متاثرین کے لیے ایک امید بن گئی ہے۔ حکومت کے دوران ہماری جانب سے کیئے گئے سیاسی خواہ انتظامی فیصلوں نے ناتواں اور کمزوروں کو اپنا بہتر مستقبل کا خواب دیکھنے کے قابل بنایا ہے۔ بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ ان کی پارٹی کے بانی وزیراعظم شہید ذوالفقار علی بھٹو نے سماجی عدم مساوات کے خلاف تحریک چلائی تھی اور ملک میں پہلی بار عوام کے لیئے ایک فرد ایک ووٹ کا حق حاصل کیا تھا۔

 وزیراعظم شہید محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو کو تو بیروزگار نوجوانوں کو روزگار فراہم کرنے کی پاداش میں عدالتوں کے چکر لگوائے گئے۔ شہید محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو نے ملک میں زچہ و بچہ کی صحت کے لیے انقلابی اقدامات کیے۔ صدر آصف علی زرداری نے بینظیر انکم سپورٹ پروگرام کا آغاز کیا، جسے عالمی سطح پر بھی سماجی تحفظ کے ایک ماڈل منصوبے کے طور پر سراہا جاتا ہے۔ چیئرمین پی پی پی نے نشاندہی کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ ان کی پارٹی نے سیاسی طور ایسے بیشمار اقدام اٹھائے ہیں، جو ملک میں سماجی انصاف کو فروغ دینے کا موجب بنے اور ان طبقات کو بااختیار بنایا جنہیں تاریخ میں ہمیشہ نظرانداز کیا جاتا رہا ہے۔

 بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے اعلان کیا کہ پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی 27 فروری سے عوامی لانگ مارچ شروع کرنے جا رہی ہے، جو اس مہنگائی کے خلاف ہے، جس نے اس غریب عوام کو شدید مشکلات کا شکار بنا دیا ہے، جسے عمران خان کی سلیکٹڈ و کٹھ پتلی حکومت نے غربت میں دھنس دیا ہے۔ انہوں نے اپیل کی کہ ہر وہ پاکستانی جو سماجی انصاف چاہتا ہے، اس کی یہ ذمہ داری ہے کہ وہ قوم کو غربت، مہنگائی، بیروزگاری، انتہا پسندی اور ظلم و جبر کے چنگل سے نجات دلانے کے لیے ہمارا ساتھ دے۔ چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے اس عزم کا اعادہ بھی کیا کہ ان کی پارٹی بے آواز شہریوِں کی طاقتور آواز بنی رہے گی، کیونکہ ہماری پارٹی کی بنیاد ہی اس پر رکھی گئی تھی کہ وہ ایک تاریخی کردار ادا کرکے پاکستان کو ایک پرامن، مساوات پر مبنی و متحرک جمہوری معاشرہ اور مسلم ممالک کا ایک رول ماڈل ملک بنائے۔

 
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  •  https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26308/