Afghanistan, along with its neighbouring country Pakistan, is affected by ongoing endemic wild poliovirus transmission. With the Taliban in power, ongoing medical projects to eradicate polio and other diseases has been in halt. On the other hand, the polio vaccine stops the virus, but the countries are not attentive enough.
Afghanistan Health Crisis
Many Afghanistan Citizens are continuously trying to flee from their war-torn country. Many took shelter in various countries. India is one of those countries where citizens of Afghanistan has taken refuge.
With this refuge, India can catch deadly poliovirus or any other harmful virus or diseases again. India has already been successful in eradicating this life-threatening virus. There are zero cases of poliovirus in India.
Problem for India
Already India is suffering from a global life-threatening Corona Virus. India currently suffered from the deadly second wave of Covid 19. Also, India is continuously vaccinating its citizens to avoid any possible third wave.
A new disease or poliovirus may reoccur if the citizens of Afghanistan who have taken refuge in India and the world are not strictly medically screened.
India was declared a polio-free country in January 2014 after a long way struggle with this disease. And if the virus again started transmitting through the Afghan refugee to the people of India. Our polio-free country may see cases, and the whole hard work of the national immunisation program may ruin.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries left to become polio-free. Even many African countries are doing better.
India’s Preventive Measures
Fortunately, India has decided to vaccinate Afghanistan returnees with free Polio Vaccine — OPV & fIPV, as a preventive measure against Wild Polio Virus.
India is thoroughly medically screening for Covid 19 in Airports.
Both foreigners and Indian citizens are going for the mandatory Covid 19 RT-PCR test upon arrival or departure from or to any country.
They are also going 14 days quarantine in-home or any hotel or any Covid 19 relief centre.
What is Polio Virus?
It is a deadly disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body).
The body parts may also get deformed due to poliovirus attacks.
How Virus can Spread in India?
Poliovirus is very contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact. It lives in an infected person’s throat and intestines. An infected person may spread the virus to others immediately before and up to 2 weeks after symptoms appear.
Due to the arrival of Afghan citizens, India can again come under the grip of this virus. People who don’t have symptoms can still pass the virus to others and make them sick.
Therefore citizens of Afghanistan who have taken refuge in India should be strictly medically screened.
Symptoms
Most people infected with poliovirus (about 72 out of 100) will not have any visible symptoms. About 1 out of 4 people with poliovirus infection will have flu-like symptoms that may include:- Sore throat, fever, tiredness, nausea, headache, stomach pain. These symptoms usually last 2 to 5 days, then go away on their own.
Life-threatening virus
A smaller proportion of people with poliovirus infection will develop other, more crucial symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord:-
Paresthesia (feeling of pins and needles in the legs)
Meningitis (infection covering the spinal cord and or brain) occurs in
about 1 out of 25 people with poliovirus infection
Paralysis (can’t move parts of the body) or weakness in the arms, legs, or both, occurs in about 1 out of 200 people with virus infection.
How India can Stop Spreading Virus or Any Other Disease?
Certain things need to be applied to prevent the spread of any potential virus or disease.
- The most important thing is the vaccination of every refugee.
- The Indian government should make a separate centre for their living or keep the citizens of Afghanistan unconnected from others for at least 45 days.
- There should be proper medical check-ups.
- Citizens should be kept in a strict 30 days quarantine if found any virus.
- There should be proper coronavirus and poliovirus tests.
- Allocate them with separate toilets with proper cleanliness.
- There should be nutritious foods and proper medical facilities.
- After 45 days, when there are no symptoms, they should be given asylum in India by giving them proper shelter.
Duty of India
Endemic or pandemic these are the worst phrase world and India are going through. India should take strict measures for the safety of its citizen.
Good Gesture from India
Afghanistan is a good friend of India. Afghanistan is going through a bad phase. Like a good friend, India helped Afghanistan in many ways.
It initiated many projects for overall development. India developed schools, libraries, hospitals, roads, bridges, buildings, dams, supplied electricity and established communications networks and many more in Afghanistan.
Conclusion
During the current crisis in Afghanistan, India also evacuated more and more people from the war-torn country. In addition, India also granted them asylum by providing medical aid and food.
India has done whatever it can do for Afghanistan. But also India must keep a check on ongoing endemics and pandemics as well as its security.