Health
Afghanistan to launch nationwide polio vaccination campaign to protect children
The campaign will be carried out across multiple provinces and districts, and includes the administration of Vitamin A supplements alongside oral polio vaccines.
Afghanistan has launched a new nationwide polio vaccination campaign aimed at immunizing children under the age of five against the debilitating disease, the Afghanistan Polio-Free Organization announced Sunday.
The campaign, which began on July 20, will be carried out across multiple provinces and districts, and includes the administration of Vitamin A supplements alongside oral polio vaccines.
Health officials say the initiative is designed not only to prevent the spread of polio but also to strengthen children’s immune systems and improve overall child health.
“The campaign aims to protect children under the age of five from the debilitating effects of polio,” the organization stated, urging families to cooperate fully with health workers to ensure that no child is left behind.
Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children and is transmitted through contaminated water. Early symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, and limb pain. In severe cases—approximately one in every 200 infections—the disease can result in irreversible paralysis.
Afghanistan remains one of only two countries in the world, alongside Pakistan, where wild poliovirus transmission has yet to be eliminated. Health officials view continued vaccination campaigns as vital to eradicating the virus and preventing lifelong disability among Afghan children.
“These vaccination campaigns represent a significant step toward a polio-free future for the country,” the Polio-Free Organization emphasized, highlighting the need for sustained public engagement and full community participation.
International partners have also stepped in to support Afghanistan’s eradication efforts. Japan, in partnership with UNICEF and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has contributed $5 million to bolster immunization programs across all 34 Afghan provinces. The funding will support a 12-month initiative aimed at reaching more than 13 million children with polio and routine childhood vaccines.
UNICEF, in a statement released on July 10, praised the Japanese government’s commitment to Afghanistan’s health sector. “This new grant reaffirms Japan’s longstanding support for the global effort to eradicate polio, especially in underserved, conflict-affected, and hard-to-reach areas,” the agency said.
Despite recent progress in reducing under-five and maternal mortality, access to basic healthcare remains limited in much of Afghanistan, leaving millions of children exposed to preventable diseases. A resurgence of polio cases in 2023 exposed significant immunity gaps, particularly among children in mobile, cross-border, and previously inaccessible communities.
While cold chain infrastructure and vaccine delivery systems have improved, health authorities warn that continued vigilance and urgent action are needed to reach every child and close remaining coverage gaps.
“Polio vaccination is one of the most effective ways to ensure a healthier, brighter future for Afghan children,” the Polio-Free Organization said, calling for collective efforts to achieve a polio-free Afghanistan.
Since the launch of the new Afghan visa module in April 2025, more than 500 visas, including over 200 medical visas, have been issued in the last four months, Indian media reported citing a senior Health Ministry official on Thursday.
India has also approved and implemented several key healthcare infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, including the construction of five maternity and health clinics in the provinces of Paktia, Khost and Paktika, a 30-bed hospital in Kabul, and the construction or upgradation of major facilities such as an Oncology Centre, Trauma Centre, Diagnostic Centre and Thalassemia Centre in Kabul, The Hindu newspaper reported. Additional proposals for health sector support are currently under active consideration.
On Thursday, India reaffirmed its continued commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s health sector and humanitarian needs during a meeting held between Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda and Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health Noor Jalal Jalali.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed ongoing health cooperation and discussed avenues to further strengthen collaboration in healthcare infrastructure, medical supplies and capacity building.
The Union Minister underlined that guided by India’s long-standing people-centric approach, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always emphasised that India’s engagement with Afghanistan should remain focused on welfare, capacity building and access to critical healthcare services.
Nadda added that India’s assistance to Afghanistan remains guided by humanitarian considerations and the long-standing bonds between the peoples of the two countries.
“India has supplied 327 tonnes of medicines and vaccines to Afghanistan over the past four years. Cancer medicines and one CT scan machine, as requested by the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, are ready for dispatch and will be delivered by the end of this month. Proposals from the Afghan side for a radiotherapy machine and additional medical supplies are also being processed,” he said.
The meeting also discussed capacity-building initiatives. India is working on modalities to send a team of senior Indian doctors to Afghanistan to organise a medical camp and provide training to Afghan doctors.
“At the meeting, India has reiterated its commitment to providing free treatment in India to Afghan patients suffering from emergency and serious ailments, and to facilitating medical visas,” said an Indian Health Ministry official.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, has called for India’s cooperation in the standardization and development of traditional medicine during a meeting with India’s Minister for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH), Prataprao Jadhav.
The meeting focused on establishing a traditional medicine institute and a research center in Kabul, cooperation in training qualified professionals, and the signing of a bilateral memorandum of understanding. Minister Jalali stressed that standardizing traditional medicine is a pressing priority for Afghanistan and noted that India’s extensive expertise in this field would be highly beneficial.
For his part, the AYUSH minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting Afghanistan by assisting in the establishment of a research center and institute in Kabul, developing and implementing academic curricula, and expanding cooperation across various areas related to traditional medicine.
Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan, held a meeting in Kabul with representatives of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and other international organizations.
According to the ministry’s statement, representatives of these international organizations discussed the delivery of health and development services, improving the management of aid and resources in the health sector, integrating health facilities and aligning them with the new policy, providing health services in accordance with the Ministry of Public Health’s policy, strengthening the immunization and vaccination sector, delivering services based on priorities, and ensuring sustained coordination.
During the meeting, Jalali stressed the need for transparency and attention to the ministry’s priorities in order to enhance the effectiveness and impact of health services. He added that the delivery of health services must be carried out in line with the ministry’s policy and through better management of existing international assistance.
Referring to vaccination campaigns, he stated that the recent measles and polio vaccination campaign had been implemented very successfully, and emphasized that necessary preparations should be made for upcoming campaigns.
He also provided information regarding the review of the BPHS and EPHS health packages and the establishment of a standardized system through technical committees.
In this meeting, Edwin Ceniza, the WHO Representative for Afghanistan, reaffirmed the organization’s continued cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and expressed appreciation to the ministry’s leadership for their tireless efforts to improve the health system.
Representatives of these organizations pledged to maintain effective and sustained coordination and to provide their services within the country in accordance with the policies and principles of the Ministry of Public Health.
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