Saudi Arabia mandates polio certificates for travellers from Pakistan

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia announced that it will require travellers form 25 countries, including Pakistan, to present a polio vaccination certificate upon arrival.

The 25 countries on the list contain primarily African and Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Kenya and Nigeria.

Read more: Polio vaccination certificate now required for marriage, divorce, birth, and death certificates

The directive was issued by the Saudi General Civil Aviation Authority (GACA). The aim is to improve public health measures within the kingdom.

The new regulation mandates the passengers arriving in Saudi Arabia must provide proof of vaccination against polio, specifically, a certificate indicating that they have received the vaccine at least four weeks prior to their travel.

The requirement is part of the country’s broader strategy to prevent the reintroduction of polio.

Polio in a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children. It causes paralysis, crippling the victim for rest of their lives.

The countries affected by the new mandate have been identified based on their historical  and current polio transmission rates. Pakistan, in particular, has struggled with polio outbreaks in recent years.

It is one of few countries left where polio hasn’t been completely eradicated. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified Pakistan as one of the last remaining countries still battling the disease, alongside Afghanistan.

The governments in the neighbouring countries have long encountered huge hurdles in battling the virus. Polio vaccine workers have routinely been targeted and killed by extremist groups. The reluctance from the general masses to receive the vaccine due to lack of education or misinformation has also exacerbated the issue.

Undocumented Afghan refugees in Pakistan and political instability in Afghanistan are key factors contributing to the continued presence of the virus.

Read more: Another polio case emerges in Pakistan

The polio vaccine is critical in helping eradicate the disease, which has seen huge decline globally since the launch of the “Global Polio Eradication Initiative” in 1988.