Health

Polio vaccination campaign kicks off in Afghanistan

Published

1 year ago

October 28, 2024

Public Health Ministry officials have confirmed that a polio vaccine campaign across 16 provinces was launched on Monday.

Sharaft Zaman Amarkhil, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Health, says that the campaign got underway on Monday in a number of provinces including Kabul, Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Zabul, Farah, Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Nuristan and some other provinces.

Amarkhil said the campaign will last for three days and an estimated 6.2 million children under the age of five will receive the anti-polio vaccine.

Zaman called on parents, religious scholars and ethnic elders to cooperate with the ministry’s vaccinators in implementing the anti-polio vaccination campaign for children under five years old in the mentioned provinces.

The World Health Organization meanwhile published its latest Polio Bulletin on Monday and confirmed Afghanistan has recorded 23 cases of Wild Polio Virus so far this year.

Pakistan meanwhile reported two new cases this week – one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the other in Balochistan province.

Pakistan has recorded a total of 41 cases of polio so far this year, bringing the total between the two countries to 64, against last year’s total of 12 (Afghanistan 6 and Pakistan 6).
World Polio Day

Marking World Polio Day last week, UNICEF pointed out that the current data issues a stark warning that the life-threatening disease continues to thrive in areas where conflict, natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and other destabilizing factors make it difficult to deliver critical healthcare.

“In conflict, children face more than bombs and bullets; they are at risk of deadly diseases that should no longer exist,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“In many countries, we are witnessing the collapse of healthcare systems, destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, and the displacement of families, triggering a resurgence of diseases like polio. Children are being left paralyzed, unable to walk, play, or attend school.”

A global decline in childhood immunization has also led to an increase in polio outbreaks, including in countries that had been polio-free for decades.

Nowhere is this more evident than in conflict-affected areas, with 15 out of 21 such countries – including Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen – currently battling polio.

In recent months, UNICEF and partners have intensified emergency responses to surges in polio outbreaks.

In Gaza, for example, UNICEF, in partnership with WHO, reached nearly 600,000 children under 10 years during the first round of a polio vaccination campaign in mid-September. The second and final round has been successfully implemented in south and central Gaza, but renewed mass displacement and bombings have delayed the process in the north.

The campaign follows the return of polio to Gaza for the first time in 25 years.

Related Topics:Afghanistan Children featured Health Polio

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Health

Health ministry holds meeting with envoys of international organizations in Kabul

Published

5 days ago

December 3, 2025

Ariana News

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.

Health

IEA health delegation travels to Turkey

Published

2 weeks ago

November 26, 2025

Ariana News

Abdul Wali Haqqani, Deputy Minister for Health Services at the Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has departed for Turkey on an official visit accompanied by a high-ranking delegation.

According to a statement released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday, the trip aims to acquire new health-sector expertise, assess Turkish medical and scientific institutions, meet with Turkish health and government officials, and strengthen bilateral cooperation.

During the visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet representatives from both public and private health sectors to support improvements in Afghanistan’s healthcare system and enhance coordination between the two countries, the statement added.

Health

Polio vaccination drive launches across 17 Afghan provinces

Officials say routine vaccination remains the most effective tool for eliminating polio and have urged families to fully cooperate with health teams during the campaign.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 23, 2025

Ariana News

The Ministry of Public Health has announced the launch of a major anti-polio vaccination campaign, set to begin on Monday across 17 provinces of Afghanistan.

According to Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the ministry, the nationwide initiative will target 7.4 million children under the age of five, delivering vaccines door-to-door to prevent the spread of the poliovirus and safeguard children’s health.

Officials say routine vaccination remains the most effective tool for eliminating polio and have urged families to fully cooperate with health teams during the campaign.

This effort forms part of the government’s ongoing strategy to protect Afghanistan’s next generation from preventable diseases and strengthen public health across the country.

This comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) recently again classified the global spread of poliovirus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the disease remains endemic in only two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The decision followed the 43rd meeting of the Polio Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR), which convened on 1 October 2025.

According to the Committee, Afghanistan reported four new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases so far this year, compared to 24 in Pakistan.

The Afghan cases were detected in the country’s southern and eastern regions, where transmission remains intense despite ongoing vaccination efforts.