190000 children to be vaccinated against polio in Uruzgan

URUZGAN, Oct. 27 – The polio vaccine, which is currently being administered in three countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Malaysia, has left more children homeless over the past three years due to insecurity in Afghanistan. With the advent of the Islamic Emirate, children across Uruzgan who have not been vaccinated against polio in previous years will be vaccinated.

Uruzgan is a province in the south of Afghanistan that has seen the highest number of polio cases in recent years. Saifuddin Hamnawa, Immunization Officer of the Immunization Unit said that they welcome the initiative of the Islamic Emirate and said that in the upcoming campaign, four coordinators will be given four-day training workshops at the provincial level adding that all the children under the age of five in Uruzgan province should be vaccinated against polio.

Meanwhile, vaccinators in Uruzgan province welcomed the move by the Islamic Emirate, saying that over the past three years, many children in many districts of Uruzgan and the capital, Tirinkot, have been deprived of the anti-polio campaign. In the next campaign, most districts will be reached, said two coordinators, Qari Hayatullah and Mohammad Sharif.

UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO)  have also welcomed this move by Islamic Emirate, saying it would be good news for Afghan children.