Polio Cases in Afghanistan Rise to 36, UN Says

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said the number of confirmed polio cases in Afghanistan has risen to 36. Most of the cases have been reported in the southern and eastern parts of the country, with Helmand, Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces recording the highest numbers of infections.

According to the report, Afghanistan is one of only two countries where the poliovirus remains active. A nationwide polio vaccination campaign, backed by humanitarian partners and launched on September 21, has reached more than 12.7 million people in an effort to reduce virus transmission and protect children under the age of five.

OCHA stressed the importance of maintaining broad vaccination coverage and strengthening surveillance systems so that new cases can be identified quickly and the spread of the disease prevented. However, the continued presence of the poliovirus in Afghanistan points to serious shortcomings and challenges in the Taliban-run health system and has raised widespread health concerns for the country’s children.