A polio vaccination campaign launched Monday covers 17 provinces in Afghanistan, targeting 7.4 million children under five, the Taliban‑run Ministry of Public Health said.
On the start of the four‑day campaign, the “Afghanistan Polio‑Free” initiative called on citizens to play their part in eradicating the disease.
This comes as the Taliban have banned house-to-house polio vaccination campaigns, shifting them to mosques and designated centers where families must bring their children for vaccination. International organizations say the restriction has negatively affected the reach and effectiveness of the campaigns.
Afghanistan recorded 25 wild polio type 1 (WPV1) cases in 2024 — the highest number in four years. Figures by the World Health Organization show that as of September 17, four cases have been reported in Afghanistan this year. Another 24 cases have been reported in Pakistan in 2025.
Despite the campaign, persistent obstacles remain, and years of war, shifting vaccination strategies, security barriers and restricted access in some regions continue to hamper efforts to stop the virus’s spread.
