Polio Vaccination Campaign launches in 21 provinces of Afghanistan

A polio vaccination campaign targeting over 7.5 million children under the age of five has been initiated in 21 provinces, as announced by the Ministry of Public Health. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries globally with consistent reports of poliovirus cases. Encouragingly, Afghanistan has not recorded a single polio case so far this […]

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A polio vaccination campaign targeting over 7.5 million children under the age of five has been initiated in 21 provinces, as announced by the Ministry of Public Health.

Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries globally with consistent reports of poliovirus cases.

Encouragingly, Afghanistan has not recorded a single polio case so far this year, marking a positive trend in the fight against the disease.

In 2023, Afghanistan reported a total of six polio cases, illustrating ongoing challenges in eradicating the virus.

Herat, a western region, will vaccinate more than 200,000 children under five during a four-day campaign, where no polio cases have been documented in the past three years.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns about the potential for virus transmission as Afghan refugees return from Pakistan.

The vaccination campaign reflects a concerted effort to maintain and expand immunization efforts in Afghanistan.

Progress in eradicating polio in Afghanistan remains significant, but challenges persist due to factors like population movement and border dynamics with neighbouring Pakistan.

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