Earlier this year, WHO reported three new polio cases in Kandahar and Helmand in October alone.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, and the Taliban, who control the city, have yet to comment on.

Sources familiar with the situation say some government-run clinics have also joined the strike.

The provinces of Kandahar and Paktika have been identified as among the most severely affected.

The report also noted that a total of 3,228 cases were recorded across 179 districts.

He said that so far, two people have died from the disease and at least 50 others are in critical.

The move has raised concerns among health experts and citizens alike, who warn that limiting the campaign could endanger the.

Afghanistan remains one of only two countries where polio has not been fully eradicated.

Under the tender, UNICEF will set up conditional supply agreements with vaccine manufacturers, the statement said.