An outbreak of polio has led Bangladesh to announce a vast vaccination programme for the Chittagong Hill Tracts. All children under five are to be vaccinated before 1 July 2007.

Below is an article published by Narinjara:

Some of the Burmese children infected with polio have recently traveled to Bangladesh to have their illness treated in hospitals there, in hopes of receiving better treatment, reports a Bangladeshi health worker.

Mr. Abu Thahal, a responsible person of the health authority at the border said that a polio infected child identified as Maung Ni came to Bangladesh twice for treatment along with his family. He was taken to Cox's Bazar hospital first on 16 March, 2007, and then a second time on 28 March.

The child was reported to have been hospitalized at the Chittagong Medical College for at least ten days, later returning to Burma after receiving treatment. However, his health was not improved.

Another infected child, two years old, came to Bangladesh for medical tests at a clinic in the border town of Nakhongshari, but was refused treatment due to the nature of the illness, said a doctor from the town.

After a few of the children who became infected with polio in the outbreak in Burma's Maungdaw Township have come to Bangladesh looking for better treatment, Bangladesh authorities have become concerned the disease will spread in the border areas of Bangladesh.

In the last few days, Bangladesh authorities announced plans to launch a new program to prevent the spread of polio in the area. As part of the program, all children under five in all districts in the Chittagong Hill Tract area will be vaccinated between 20 May and 1July.