MoH stresses on eradication of polio from Afghanistan

The Ministry of Health (MoH) assures people for eradication of polio from Afghanistan up to the next two years.

Afghanistan, the remaining country where polio is endemic, has joined forces to eradicate polio by vaccinating children in synchronised campaigns.

Firuzuddin Firuz, minister of health has committed to fully wipe out this disease and the circulating of this sickness will be stopped by the end of the current year.

“The commitment of Afghan government is to stop polio by the end of the current year. However, we have witnessed a decline of this disease compared to the previous year. We promise to eradicate this virus from Afghanistan up to the next two years,” said minister of health, Firuzuddin Firuz.

Most of Afghanistan is polio-free. The country has not yet interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus. While most cases in 2014 were due to poliovirus imported from neighbouring Pakistan, there is also ongoing transmission of virus within Afghanistan.

The minister of health stated that the ministry faces many challenges including insecurity for fighting against this disease.

“Our health workers cannot go in some areas of the country, where Daesh and Taliban groups are activating. We are trying to stand against these problems,” Firuz added.

The countries – which share a 2,400km porous border – have been bracketed as the major stumbling block in the drive for the global eradication of polio.

These countries have been tackling the Taliban’s opposition to the administration of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to children.

Taliban groups have been campaigning against OPV because they consider it a ploy by the US to render recipients impotent or infertile, and reduce the population of Muslims.