Polio vaccination drives starts across the country

KABUL, Feb. 21 – The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in collaboration with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), launched nationwide polio vaccination campaign, today.

This is the second general polio vaccination campaign this year, aimed at vaccinating 9.1 million children under the age of five.

Bamyan, Daikundi, Ghor, Ghazni and some districts of Badakhshan provinces are not included in this campaign due to cold weather. The campaign will be implemented in two phases, the second of which will start in the southern and eastern parts will sart latter.

Dr. Qalandar Ibad, Acting Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, described the current situation in the country as conducive to better implementation and delivery of polio vaccination campaigns and other health services. He called on the department to make every effort to eradicate the disease and implement a polio vaccination campaign for children under the age of five.

Afghanistan is closer to eradicating polio than ever before and all citizens must work together to make the polio vaccination campaign a success.

One positive case of polio has  been reported in Paktika province so far this year and the genetic root of the virus is linked to positive cases in Quetta, Pakistan.