Afghanistan Launches New Polio Vaccination Campaign Amid Ongoing Health Challenges

A new campaign to administer the polio vaccine will commence in 12 provinces of Afghanistan, including Herat, Kandahar, and Helmand…

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

The latest campaign to combat polio (child paralysis) will begin on Monday, December 24, across several provinces in Afghanistan, aimed at preventing the spread of this dangerous disease.

Target Provinces and Registered Cases

The Afghanistan Polio-Free Initiative has announced that during this campaign, children under the age of five will receive the polio vaccine in 12 targeted provinces.

The targeted provinces include Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Urozgan, Ghazni, Paktika, Khost, Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Nuristan, and Herat.

According to 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 entirely eradicated.

Doctors emphasize that polio is a serious viral disease with no cure, and the only way to prevent it is through vaccination for children.

This campaign is seen as vital for protecting children’s health and fully eradicating this disease from Afghanistan.