7 positive cases of polio this year so far

KABUL(SW): Today, October 24 is the World Polio Eradication Day or Eradication of Polio Virus in the world.

 The Ministry of Public Health officials told Salam Watandar that they have spoken about the elimination of the Polio virus in the past few years and said they have plans and programs with the support of donors to eradicate this virus permanently.

Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, official of the Ministry of Public Health, told Salam Watandar, that according to their survey this year 7 cases of Polio have been founded in Kandahar, Zabul, Helmand and Nangarhar provinces.

According to Mr. Nazari, they are trying to eradicate the Polio virus in these provinces by implementing the Polio campaign each month to eliminate the virus permanently. However, unfortunately 7 cases of Polio have been found in Kandahar, Zabul and Helmand and one week ago another case of Polio was found in Nangarhar province; and thus we always have monthly campaign for the Polio vaccination of children, he said.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, currently in 95% of Afghanistan the Polio virus is not seen and efforts are underway to eradicate the Polio virus by the end of the year 2017.

Ministry of Public Health officials believed that the reasons for the existence of the Polio virus in children are the insecurity in the country and the migration of displaced people from neighboring country, Pakistan.

Based on Salam Watandar reports from some provinces, in some of the districts of the provinces due to insecurity and social opposition; the children couldn’t receive the Polio vaccinations but the Ministry of Public Health denies this report and said that more than 10 million children under age of 5 were vaccinated throughout the country this year.

Last year, however, the Ministry of the Public Health had reported 13 cases of Polio throughout the country.

ENDS