Pakistani authorities on Wednesday postponed a polio vaccination campaign in the country's restive southern Balochistan province after health workers boycotted it to oppose a proposed privatization of hospitals. Authorities on Monday launched the final nationwide polio vaccination campaign for the year, aiming to protect 45 million children. According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only two countries where the potentially fatal, paralyzing virus has not been eradicated. Anwarul Haq of the National Emergency Operation Center for Polio Eradication, said the polio vaccination campaign in Balochistan was delayed until Dec. 30 for “better preparedness." He provided no further details. However, other health and government officials said the campaign in Balochistan was postponed after health workers refused to join it and demanded that the government stop plans to privatize state-run hospitals where they work. Representatives of health workers have also urged the government not to employ unqualified workers to carry out the campaign. Read: Pakistan begins another vaccination campaign after a worrying surge in polio cases Restive Balochistan has reported the highest number of polio cases, with 26 out of the nationwide 63 confirmed cases since January. The campaign continue until Dec. 22 in other areas in Pakistan. Pakistan regularly launches campaigns against polio despite attacks on the workers and police assigned to the inoculation drives. Militants falsely claim the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children. More than 200 polio workers and police assigned for their protection have been killed since the 1990s, according to health officials and authorities.

Although the Covid vaccination rollout is the "biggest and fastest in history," many people most at risk are still not protected against the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday, announcing an updated inoculation strategy.   The plan prioritises vaccinating 100 percent of healthcare workers and vulnerable groups, including older people and those with underlying conditions, in line with efforts to vaccinate 70 percent of the global population. More than 12 billion Covid vaccine doses have been administered worldwide to date, resulting in countries reaching 60 percent of their populations on average. Yet only 28 percent of older people and 37 percent of healthcare workers in low-income countries have received their primary course of vaccines, and most have not had booster doses. "Even where 70 percent vaccination coverage is achieved, if significant numbers of health workers, older people and other at-risk groups remain unvaccinated, deaths will continue, health systems will remain under pressure and the global recovery will be at risk," UN health agency chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Read: Animal-to-human diseases rise in Africa: WHO "Vaccinating all those most at risk is the single best way to save lives, protect health systems and keep societies and economies open." The updated strategy focuses on the need to measure progress in vaccinating these priority groups and developing targeted approaches to reach them, which also includes gaining greater access to more displaced people through humanitarian response. Accelerating the development of improved vaccines, and ensuring equitable access to substantially reduce virus transmission, is a top priority. While current vaccines were designed to prevent serious illness and death, and have saved millions of lives, they have not substantially reduced transmission, the WHO said. With Covid still circulating widely, and new and dangerous variants emerging, the UN agency stressed that it is fundamental to continue investing in research and development towards more effective and easier ways to administer vaccines, such as via nasal spray products

Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Tuesday said the registration through ‘Surokkha’ App for administering Covid-19 booster dose will start at the end of December after updating the app. “The ICT ministry is working to update the app. Now the citizens above 60 and frontliners are getting the booster shot on a limited scale by showing their vaccine cards,” the minister told reporters at the secretariat. The government started administering booster doses to health workers on a trial basis in Dhaka on Sunday, he said. Fearing the spread of the new variant, Zahid Maleque said Omicron has not yet spread in the country. “Necessary steps are being taken to check the spread of Omicron.”

Unloading of goods from a ship carrying DAP fertilizer from China at Chattogram Port has been halted after 7 crew members exhibited Covid-19 symptoms.The port authorities have instructed the crew to remain in quarantine for 14 days.Chattogram Port Secretary Omar Farooq Sunday night said the body temperature of seven crew members of the MV Seren Juniper, which brought fertilizer from Nantong port of China, was found to be high.“According to the advice of the health officer of the port authority, they have been asked to stay in quarantine for 14 days,” the secretary said.In addition, the unloading of goods from the ship has been halted for the time being, he added.Port Assistant Health Officer Nurul Abshar said the ship's captain himself informed through a local shipping agent that the sailors had the Covid symptoms.Samples have been collected by sending health workers to that ship. Further step will be taken after the test results arrive, he said.

PRAN-RFL, country's leading business conglomerate, has donated hand rubs and pure drinking water for health workers working at Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Covid-19 dedicated hospital on Wednesday. Kamruzzaman Kamal, marketing director of PRAN-RFL Group, handed over the ‘Activo’ branded hand rub and PRAN Drinking Water to Brig. Gen. AKM Nasir Uddin, Director of the hospital. Also read:PRAN-RFL Group distributing food among 40,000 families Kamruzzaman Kamal said “Protective equipment and drinking water have been given to DNCC Covid Hospital for its health workers who are carrying out their professional duties during the epidemic amid risk.” Brig. Gen. AKM Nasir Uddin thanked PRAN-RFL for providing safety equipment and drinking water for the health workers at the hospital. Read:PRAN-RFL donates protective equipment to three Covid-19 ... PRAN-RFL has provided food to 70,000 helpless and poor families who became lost job during the general holidays across the country last year to contain the spread of coronavirus.    Moreover, the group donated corona sample collection booth, surgical masks, PPE, hand gloves and hand sanitizers to Director General of Health Services (DGHS) and 15 hospitals in Dhaka, Chattogram and Bhola.  Also read PRAN-RFL provides food to corona affected 6,000 families

At least 7,000 health workers have died around the world after contracting COVID-19, said a new analysis by Amnesty International.

UNB Editor Mahfuzur Rahman has fully recovered from Covid-19, a month after testing positive for the virus.   He returned home on Thursday afternoon from Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital in the city after 25 days of treatment.    His follow-up test result came out negative on Wednesday.   Rahman thanked the doctors, nurses, health workers and the hospital management for providing quality treatment and services.   “I hope (Covid-19) patients in other hospitals will get quality treatment to win arduous battle against coronavirus,” he said.   The UNB editor expressed gratitude to the news agency’s management, his colleagues, friends, relatives and well-wishers for keeping him in their thoughts and prayers.   Rahman underwent Covid-19 test at Anwar Khan Modern Medical College Hospital in the city on May 26 as he had been suffering from high fever. The report came out four days later and confirmed that he had been infected with coronavirus.   He was admitted to the Holy Family Hospital on May 31 as his oxygen saturation level dropped following days of high fever and dry cough.   All of his family members tested negative for the virus.   Bangladesh health authorities confirmed the first Covid-19 cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18. In recent weeks, both the number of newly confirmed cases and deaths are spiking.   Until Wednesday, the country confirmed 122,660 coronavirus cases and 1,582 deaths.   Globally, the number of confirmed cases rose to 9,405,800 and the death toll climbed to 482,128 on Thursday, according to the Centre for System Science and Engineering of Johns Hopkins University.

PRAN-RFL Group has distributed protective equipment among police and health workers in Chattogram for their safety amid coronavirus pandemic.

Ten people were injured in a clash between health workers and police over payment of dues at the Civil Surgeon's office in Sunamganj on Sunday.

Nine people, including two health workers ,were infected with coronavirus in the district, raising the number of such cases here to 11.   Civil Surgeon Dr Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury, said report of 84 people was received from Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on Wednesday and found nine people infected.   Of those, three people are from Sadar upazila, three from Nachole upazila, two from Bholahat and one from Shibganj upazila of the district, he said.   All of them were sent on home quarantine, he added.   The country has so fir confirmed 186 deaths and 11,719 coronavirus cases.