Three-day anti-polio campaign targets millions of Afghan children – here’s why it matters
The Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan's caretaker government has launched a three-day vaccination campaign to protect 6.2 million children under the age of five from the poliovirus.
Scheduled from October 28 to October 30, the campaign will administer anti-polio drops in 16 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, according to ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil.
In a public statement, Amarkhil called on community leaders and parents to support the vaccination effort. "There are no confirmed positive polio cases registered in Afghanistan in 2024. The ministry is trying to eradicate this wild virus by launching vaccine campaigns," he emphasised, highlighting the importance of cooperation from tribal elders, religious scholars, and parents to ensure effective implementation.
The announcement follows recent reports of uncertainty over polio campaigns in the country. On September 16, the United Nations announced that Afghanistan's Taliban government had suspended polio vaccination campaigns. The next day, however, the Taliban-led Health Ministry disputed this, calling the UN’s statement "false."
Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries globally where the polio virus is still endemic. As of October 28, the global count for confirmed polio cases in 2024 has reached 64, with 23 cases reported in Afghanistan and 41 in Pakistan. This is a significant increase from the 12 cases recorded last year, split equally between the two countries.
