KABUL, Afghanistan — The new round of polio vaccination campaign began on Monday across six provinces of the country, including Kabul.
The Afghanistan Free from Polio initiative announced on social media that the three-day campaign will be conducted in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Zabul, Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Ghazni, Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Nuristan, Kabul, Baghlan, Herat, and Badghis provinces.
It urged the people to cooperate with vaccinators to ensure children receive the vaccine.
In 2024, Afghanistan reported 25 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). This marks an increase from the six cases reported in 2023.
In September 2024, the Taliban suspended door-to-door polio vaccination campaigns, opting instead for mosque-based vaccinations. This shift, coupled with restrictions on female participation in vaccination efforts, has raised concerns about reaching vulnerable populations, particularly in conservative regions where female health workers play a crucial role.
According to Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health, over 6 million children under the age of 5 across 16 provinces will be covered by the campaign.
Efforts to combat the disease face challenges, particularly in southern provinces such as Helmand and Kandahar, where Taliban have previously imposed restrictions on door-to-door vaccination campaigns.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has noted that Afghanistan remains one of the last countries where polio is endemic. In a recent report, UNICEF highlighted the critical role of vaccination campaigns and immunization services in preventing the disease.
Health experts emphasize that polio vaccination is key to eradicating the virus and protecting vulnerable populations, especially children, from its devastating effects.
