Afghanistan launches anti-polio campaign targeting 6.2 million children

Kabul: The Afghan caretaker government's Ministry of Public Health on Monday announced a three-day vaccination campaign aimed at protecting 6.2 million children under the age of five from poliovirus.

Running from Monday to Wednesday, the campaign will provide anti-polio drops to children in 16 out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, said Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, spokesperson for the ministry.

In his message, Amarkhil urged tribal elders, religious scholars, and parents to cooperate with polio workers to implement the campaign appropriately, Xinhua news agency reported.

"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," Amarkhil said.

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a viral disease that can cause paralysis or death in some people. It's highly contagious and mainly affects children under five years of age.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched in 1988 to eradicate polio worldwide. Since then, wild poliovirus cases have decreased by over 99 per cent. As of 2022, wild poliovirus type-1 is still endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan.