A nationwide polio vaccination campaign began across Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Public Health announced that 11.6 million children will be vaccinated as part of this campaign. The program will run for four days in the provinces of Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan, Helmand, and Kandahar, and for three days in the remaining 28 provinces.
Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, stated: “This campaign, which will last for four days, will be implemented across all 34 provinces of the country to vaccinate approximately 11.6 million children under the age of five against polio.”
Dr. Sayed Abdullah Ahmadi commented: “Most polio cases are transmitted through the return of migrants to the country. Therefore, the Ministry of Public Health needs to establish a systematic vaccination plan for returnees and for regions that are more vulnerable.”
On the first day of the campaign, vaccination teams were active in parts of Kabul city, working to protect children from the polio virus.
Mohammad Sahel, one of the vaccinators, said: “Our request to the public is to cooperate with us and bring their children under the age of five for vaccination, so we can have a polio-free country.”
Meanwhile, citizens are urging the Ministry of Public Health to intensify its efforts to eradicate this disease nationwide.
Mohammad Taqi, a resident of Kabul, said: “Our request to the Ministry of Public Health is to expand this process to fully eliminate polio.”
According to statistics from the World Health Organization, more than 20 positive polio cases were recorded in Afghanistan last year. However, the Ministry of Public Health has rejected this figure.