A nine-member medical team from Germany has begun a two-week medical and surgical mission at Bamiyan Provincial Hospital, offering free specialised treatment to patients in need.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, the team arrived in Afghanistan in coordination with the ministry and in partnership with Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS).

During the mission, the specialists will provide diagnostic and surgical services, including plastic surgery, burn treatment, correction of congenital deformities, war-related injuries and other complex medical conditions.

The team is expected to examine around 200 patients, with between 100 and 150 selected for surgical procedures.

In addition to treating patients, the German specialists will conduct theoretical and practical training sessions for Afghan doctors, surgeons and medical students to strengthen local medical expertise.

The ministry said the mission is funded by volunteer doctors and partner organisations, with essential medicines and medical equipment also brought into the country.

The initiative aims to improve access to free specialised healthcare, enhance the skills of Afghan medical professionals and strengthen surgical services in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is set to launch a new nationwide polio vaccination campaign on Monday, November 2, as health authorities continue efforts to eradicate the disease, following the vaccination of 12.7 million children across the country.

Afghanistan’s Polio-Free Initiative announced that the campaign will begin nationwide on Monday, while vaccination activities in the southern zone will start a day later, on Tuesday, November 3.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that 12.7 million children in Afghanistan have been vaccinated against polio through ongoing immunization campaigns.

The UN agency noted that despite progress in vaccination coverage, efforts to completely eliminate polio in Afghanistan are continuing.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that mainly affects children under the age of five and can cause permanent paralysis.

Health organizations have urged families to cooperate with vaccination teams and ensure that all eligible children receive the required vaccine doses to protect them against the disease.

Afghanistan Free Polio has urged parents and caregivers to vaccinate their children against polio, warning of the continued need for vaccination efforts as the country marks World Polio Day on October 24.

In a message issued on Saturday, the organization called on families to ensure their children receive polio vaccines, stressing that every child has the right to grow up free from the disease.

The organization also emphasized the role of families and communities in preventing the spread of the virus and achieving a polio-free Afghanistan.

According to a previous report by the World Health Organization (WHO), six new polio cases had been recorded in Afghanistan, bringing the total number of cases reported since the beginning of 2026 to 42.

Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries where polio has not been eradicated.

World Polio Day is observed annually on October 24 to raise awareness and strengthen global efforts to eliminate the disease.

Health authorities and public health organizations continue to stress that vaccination and community participation are essential to protecting children and preventing further transmission of the virus.