Afghanistan Launches New Round of Polio Vaccination in Several Provinces
The Afghanistan Polio-Free Initiative has announced the start of a new round of polio vaccination, beginning on Monday, December 14, across several provinces of the country. The campaign is considered crucial as Afghanistan continues to face threats from the poliovirus.
According to the statement, this round of vaccination will be carried out through a door-to-door campaign in the provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Ghazni, Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Nuristan, Herat, and Kunduz to vaccinate children under the age of five.
Afghanistan, alongside Pakistan, remains one of the few countries in the world where cases of polio are still reported. This ongoing problem reflects serious public health challenges and highlights the lack of equal access to immunization services for children.
In November, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that despite a relative decline in polio cases in Afghanistan, the risk of virus transmission remains high in southern provinces bordering Pakistan. The report noted that four cases of wild poliovirus type 1 had been confirmed in Afghanistan since the beginning of this year.
It also stated that from the start of 2025 up until September 17, four cases of wild poliovirus type 1 were registered in Afghanistan, along with 24 cases in Pakistan. These figures underscore the need for effective planning, transparency, and serious cooperation between the Taliban administration and international health organizations.
