In a recent advisory issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Monday, it has been announced that passengers traveling to Egypt from Pakistan, Afghanistan, as well as several other countries, are now required to provide a polio vaccination certificate. This move comes in response to concerns about the spread of the poliovirus and aims to protect public health within Egypt.
The advisory states, “As informed by the Egyptian Authorities, passengers traveling to Egypt from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malawi, Mozambique, and Congo are requested to provide an international certificate of vaccination, specifically for the polio vaccine, either OPV or IPV (both are acceptable).”
Additionally, foreigners who have stayed in the above-mentioned countries for more than four weeks are also mandated to provide proof of polio vaccination in order to travel to Egypt.
This decision is a direct response to the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee’s concerns regarding the efforts to combat poliovirus spread in Pakistan. In a session convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general on August 16, 2023, the committee raised alarms about the challenges faced by Pakistan and Afghanistan in their polio eradication campaigns.
The committee emphasized that recent favorable environmental samples from Peshawar and Karachi have underscored the persistent risk of a polio outbreak in Pakistan. Notably, a new case of WPV1 has emerged in Pakistan since the last meeting, bringing the 2023 total to two cases. Both instances occurred in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Throughout the year, at least 15 environmental surveillance-positive samples were identified.
Commenting on the emergency committee’s statement, Pakistan’s caretaker health minister, Dr. Nadeem Jan, stated that boosting routine immunization and expanding coverage, especially through outreach campaigns, would be critical in the ongoing polio eradication efforts in the country.
In Afghanistan, the committee reported five new WPV1 cases, all from Nangarhar province, occurring in five different districts with onsets from April to May 2023. The committee also warned that any setbacks in Afghanistan could pose a risk to the polio eradication program in Pakistan due to high population movement between the two countries.
Furthermore, the committee noted that in 2023, there were only two genetic clusters of WPV1 identified, compared to three in 2022 and five in 2021, indicating some progress in the fight against poliovirus transmission.
This new travel requirement underscores the global concern over the potential resurgence of polio and the commitment to safeguard public health in Egypt. Travelers from the specified countries are urged to ensure they have the necessary documentation before embarking on their journeys to Egypt.
