Health

New round of polio vaccination campaign begins nationwide

Photo: Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan. File Photo

The third round of the polio vaccination campaign for this year commenced on Monday and is set to run for four days.

The campaign’s objective is to immunize over 11 million children under the age of five against polio, as stated by the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health.

“Children aged between 6 and 59 months will also receive Vitamin A, which contributes to maintaining the health of children’s eyes, skin, and immune system,” the ministry’s statement noted.

Taliban’s Public Health Minister, Qalandar Ibaad, affirmed their dedication to eliminating polio in Afghanistan, emphasizing collaboration with their partners in this endeavor.

Despite a series of response campaigns, Afghanistan’s eastern region has consistently reported the presence of wild poliovirus in environmental samples for more than a year.

So far this year, there have been five confirmed cases of polio, predominantly in the eastern province of Nangarhar.