New Polio Vaccination Campaign to Begin in Southern Afghanistan
The ‘Polio-Free Afghanistan’ page has announced that a new polio vaccination campaign will commence on Tuesday, July 7, in parts of Kandahar and Helmand provinces.
According to published information, the campaign will be conducted in Kandahar city, Lashkar Gah city—the capital of Helmand province—and the districts of Nahre Saraj, Musa Qala, Washir, Nad Ali, and Marjah. Program officials have urged families to bring children under five years old to health teams for vaccination.
According to the World Health Organization, six human polio cases and 34 environmental positive samples have been recorded in Afghanistan this year. Additionally, in 2025, a total of 21 human cases and 94 environmental positive cases were reported.
Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries in the world where polio has not been completely eradicated. Health experts emphasize that ongoing insecurity, regional restrictions, and challenges in accessing health services in certain areas under Taliban control have complicated the complete elimination of the disease—an issue requiring extensive cooperation from families and better provision of health services by authorities.
