The Ministry of Public Health under the Islamic Emirate announced on Monday, the launch of the first national supplementary polio vaccination campaign for 2025.
This campaign aims to target 16 provinces across various regions of Afghanistan, including the Central, Southern, Eastern, Western, Southeastern, and Northeastern areas of the country.
According to the statement, the campaign will run for three days (January 27 to 29) in the provinces of Kabul, Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Zabul, Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Ghazni, Nangarhar, Logar, Kunar, Nuristan, Baghlan, Herat, and Badghis.
The Ministry further emphasized that around six million children under the age of five are expected to receive the polio vaccine during this round of immunization.
In the statement, Noor Jalal Jalali, the acting Minister of Public Health, highlighted the ministry’s commitment to collaborating with partners to eradicate the polio virus in Afghanistan.
“We are determined to stop the wild polio virus in Afghanistan with the help of our partners. We will continue our polio vaccination campaigns and health services to achieve our ultimate goal of completely eradicating polio across the country.”
Meanwhile, some vaccinators in Zabul have expressed concern that a significant number of children might be missing out on the vaccine due to the lack of door-to-door vaccination efforts. They noted that only certain areas are targeted, and some families remain indifferent and do not bring their children for vaccination.
Mohabbatullah, a vaccinator in Zabul, explained: “In the past, we used to go door-to-door to administer the vaccine, but now we only target specific areas and announce vaccination points. Some families are indifferent and don’t bring their children for the vaccine.”
Musa Kaleem, another vaccinator, added: “Now, we vaccinate children at mosques, and we are trying to ensure all children are vaccinated. However, most families don’t bring their children, and we urge local elders to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination.”
On the other hand, some families demand that the polio vaccination should be administered door-to-door to ensure all children are vaccinated and protected from the disease.
Ahmadullah, a resident of Zabul, said, “We urge the authorities to implement door-to-door vaccination so that no child is left out, and more facilities should be provided to the public.”
Ali, a resident of Nangarhar, appealed to families to vaccinate their children to protect them from polio. “We have five children under five in our house who are receiving the vaccine, and volunteers come at the right time. We also urge other families to vaccinate their children.”
The Acting Minister of Public Health has called on religious scholars, community leaders, parents, and influential members of society to support vaccinators across the country. “It is crucial for religious leaders, tribal elders, parents, and other influential figures in society to support vaccinators so they can participate in the fight against polio and protect the health of their children.”
Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries where polio has not been eradicated yet.
