KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban’s deputy chief minister Abdul Salam Hanafi on Thursday claimed that polio has been “eradicated” in Afghanistan during an online meeting with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), and Hanan Balkhi, the organization’s regional director.
The claim comes despite reports of at least six polio cases in Afghanistan in 2023.
In a statement, the Taliban said Hanafi asked the WHO to help improve Afghanistan’s health system.
This includes establishing well-equipped laboratories, setting up clinics in remote areas, enhancing the training of healthcare professionals, and building a fully equipped hospital for cancer treatment.
