A four-day polio vaccination campaign was launched on Monday, aiming to reach more than 7.3 million children under the age of five across 187 districts in 19 provinces of the country.
The campaign marks the third round of polio immunizations conducted this year and is part of a broader effort to curb the spread of the disease in one of the last countries where it remains endemic.
The Afghanistan Polio-Free Initiative, which is overseeing the effort, urged families to ensure their children are vaccinated, calling for public cooperation to help build what it described as “a safer and brighter Afghanistan.”
The campaign follows a sharp rise in confirmed polio cases. While just three cases were recorded during the previous three years, 25 new cases were confirmed in 2024, according to official data. Among them, 14 occurred in Kandahar, seven in Helmand, two in Uruzgan, and one each in Kunar and Nuristan. In 2025, one case has so far been identified in the western province of Badghis.
Despite the renewed push, Taliban authorities continue to ban door-to-door vaccination, a long-standing method used to reach children in rural and high-risk areas. Health experts warn that the restriction is hampering efforts to eliminate the virus.
Medical professionals and vaccination teams say many children are being left unvaccinated due to limited access, heightening the risk of further transmission.
Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan remain the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus is still endemic. Global health experts continue to emphasize that widespread immunization and unrestricted access for vaccination workers are essential to achieving eradication.
