New Polio Vaccination Campaign Launched in Kandahar and Helmand

A regional and targeted campaign to vaccinate children against polio, aimed at preventing the disease in children under five, is set to commence in the center of Kandahar province and several key districts of Helmand.

Launch of Polio Vaccination Campaign in the Southern Region

Health efforts to combat and eradicate polio in southern Afghanistan have entered a new phase. The Afghanistan Polio-Free Foundation has announced via their official social media that a focused polio vaccination campaign will be initiated on Tuesday in certain areas of Kandahar and Helmand provinces. According to the report, this critical initiative will provide comprehensive health care to children under the age of five in the center of Kandahar, the center of Helmand, and strategically important districts including Nahr-e Saraj, Musa Qala, Washer, Nad Ali, and Marjah.

National Call for Family Cooperation with Health Teams

Officials from the foundation have highlighted the irreparable dangers posed by polio, urging all members of the community, including local leaders and especially families and parents, to collaborate fully with volunteers and health workers throughout the campaign. This call emphasizes that vaccinating all eligible children is the only way to completely rid the country of this dangerous virus and achieve an Afghanistan free from disability. Doctors continually warn that polio is an acute viral disease that is contagious and poses severe health risks; however, it can be prevented through the regular administration of vaccination drops.

Concerning Increase in Polio Cases This Year

The launch of these regional campaigns comes at a time when official statistics from the World Health Organization reveal a troubling rise in confirmed polio cases across Afghanistan, with six cases reported since the start of 2026. The documentation of these new cases has raised significant alarms among international organizations and health practitioners, indicating that the polio virus remains active in certain areas, posing a severe threat to the health of the country’s future generations.