KABUL, Afghanistan — A nationwide polio vaccination campaign targeting children under the age of five began across the country on Monday. The four-day campaign aims to immunize nearly 11.6 million children against the disease.
The Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health confirmed the launch of the campaign and urged families to ensure their children are vaccinated.
“The polio vaccination campaign has started today in all 34 provinces,” said Sharafat Zaman Amarhil, Taliban spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health. “During this four-day drive, 11.6 million children under five will receive the polio vaccine, along with a vitamin A supplement to boost their vision and immune system. We call on community elders, religious leaders, and all citizens to cooperate with vaccination teams.”
The campaign comes amid concerns over ongoing restrictions that some say have hampered access to vaccinations. In recent months, the Taliban banned door-to-door polio vaccination efforts in several areas, requiring families to bring their children to mosques or clinics instead.
“In the past, vaccinators came to our homes, but now we have to take our children to mosques or health centers,” said Muslima, a resident of Farah Province. “This has made it harder for children to access vaccines.”
The World Health Organization has warned that polio cases have surged in 2024, with Afghanistan recording a fourfold increase and Pakistan a twelvefold rise compared to the previous year. The agency attributes part of the rise to the return of Afghan migrants, many of whom have not received regular vaccinations.
Health experts have urged authorities to focus on vaccination at border crossings and to deploy mobile teams in high-risk areas. “One of the main reasons for the spread of polio is the unmonitored return of Afghan migrants,” said Abdullah Ahmadi, former chief physician at Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital in Kabul. “The Ministry of Public Health must establish a systematic vaccination program at entry points and affected regions.”
Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries where polio has yet to be eradicated.
In the first four months of 2025, Afghanistan reported one confirmed polio case in Badghis Province. The World Health Organization previously reported 25 polio cases in Afghanistan in 2024, with Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Paktika, Kunar, and Badghis among the hardest-hit provinces.
