Afghanistan Launches New Polio Vaccination Campaign Across 12 Provinces

A new campaign to immunize against polio (childhood paralysis) is set to launch in 12 provinces of Afghanistan, including Herat, Kandahar, and Helmand…[[–MAT-READ-MORE–]]

Afghanistan and Pakistan: The Last Two Countries with Active Polio Virus

The new campaign to administer polio vaccines will begin on Monday (December 24) across several provinces in Afghanistan to prevent the spread of this dangerous disease.

Target Provinces and Reported Cases

The Afghanistan Polio-Free Initiative has announced that children under the age of five will receive polio vaccinations in 12 target provinces.

The target provinces include: Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Urozgan, Ghazni, Paktika, Khost, Nangarhar, Laghman, Konar, Nuristan, and Herat.

According to information from the World Health Organization, two confirmed cases of polio have been reported in Afghanistan this year; one in the Bala Murghab district of Badghis province and the other in Helmand province. Additionally, 18 environmental samples testing positive for the polio virus have been reported in Kandahar, Helmand, Kabul, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Zabul provinces.

The Importance of Vaccination

Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries in the world where the polio virus has not been fully eradicated.

Doctors emphasize that polio is a dangerous viral disease for which there is no cure, making vaccination the only preventative measure available for children.

This campaign is deemed vital for protecting children’s health and completely eradicating this disease from Afghanistan.