Health
WHO warns of persistent polio risk as Afghanistan remains one of two endemic countries
Afghanistan reported four new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases so far this year, compared to 24 in Pakistan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has once 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.
Environmental surveillance found 53 WPV1-positive samples in Afghanistan and 390 in Pakistan, underscoring continued circulation along the shared epidemiological corridors between the two countries.
The Committee expressed concern that Afghanistan’s site-to-site vaccination strategy, introduced after the suspension of house-to-house campaigns in October 2024 due to security concerns, leaves many children unreached and vulnerable.
The WHO report noted that Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to conduct synchronized immunization campaigns to interrupt cross-border transmission. However, challenges persist due to insecurity, vaccine hesitancy, and large-scale population movements — including the return of undocumented Afghan migrants from Pakistan.
The Committee commended both countries for maintaining strong coordination but stressed that eradication will require high-quality vaccination coverage in all border areas.
Globally, the Committee also reviewed outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs), with 143 cases recorded so far in 2025, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. Although progress toward eradication has been steady, the Committee warned that operational gaps, insecurity, and funding shortfalls could reverse gains made over the past decade.
The WHO urged Afghanistan to resume house-to-house vaccination where possible and to sustain coordination with Pakistan. It also called on donor governments to address the programme’s nearly 30% funding shortfall, warning that financial constraints threaten global eradication efforts.
The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains high, but determined that the situation does not constitute a pandemic emergency.
The temporary recommendations — including vaccination requirements for travelers from Afghanistan and Pakistan — have been extended for another three months.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, met with the head of the World Health Organization in Afghanistan, Edwin Ceniza Salvador, to discuss expanding healthcare services and strengthening coordination in the country.
According to a statement issued Tuesday by the Ministry of Public Health, the meeting was attended by officials from the WHO and other representatives and focused on key health sector priorities and areas of mutual cooperation.
Participants discussed the expansion of health services across Afghanistan, capacity-building initiatives for healthcare workers, and the development of cancer-related services. They also reviewed operational coordination, transparency in the delivery of health services, and preparations for upcoming health-related meetings.
During the meeting, Jalali emphasized the importance of aligning health projects and services with the ministry’s national policies and strategic documents.
He stressed that all health initiatives should be implemented based on the priorities and needs identified by the Ministry of Public Health.
The minister also urged WHO officials to enhance transparency and strengthen coordination with the ministry while taking practical steps to improve the quality of health services and ensure broader public access to healthcare across the country.
For his part, Salvador reaffirmed the WHO’s commitment to maintaining close cooperation with the Afghan health ministry and to delivering essential health services in accordance with the ministry’s policies and priorities.
Health
Afghanistan faces acute shortage of specialist doctors, officials urge ethics and expansion of health services
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health, said the ministry is making sustained and intensive efforts to address the gap and expand access to healthcare services in remote and underserved areas of the country.
Afghanistan is continuing to face a serious shortage of specialist doctors, health officials said during the graduation ceremony of specialist physicians from the General Directorate of Medical Specialization for the year 1404.
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health, said the ministry is making sustained and intensive efforts to address the gap and expand access to healthcare services in remote and underserved areas of the country.
According to Jalali, hospitals are still absent across 318 districts nationwide. He added that initial construction work for hospitals has been completed in 100 of these areas, stressing that strengthening health infrastructure and training qualified specialists remain top priorities for the ministry.
Jalali also called on doctors and health officials to uphold their professional and religious responsibilities by treating patients with compassion, dignity, and good conduct. He emphasized that medical practice should not be driven by material gain, but by the pursuit of public service and the well-being of the people.
Speaking at the same ceremony, Hamdullah Nomani, Minister of Communications and Information Technology noted a decline in public trust toward some medical professionals, saying that despite the presence of many committed and ethical doctors, the behavior of a few motivated solely by financial gain has undermined patient confidence. He urged newly graduated specialists to serve with sincerity and restore public trust in Afghanistan’s healthcare system.
Meanwhile, Abdul Wali Sadiqi, the financial and administrative deputy minister of public health, advised graduates to remain committed to their profession, fulfill their responsibilities honestly, and serve the public with dedication. He stressed that efforts in national service should match those made in personal affairs.
In addition, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, head of the National Examinations Authority, highlighted that humans carry two fundamental responsibilities: worship of Allah and preservation of health, underscoring the vital role doctors play in safeguarding public health.
Health sector experts say Afghanistan now needs skilled and professional medical personnel more than ever, calling for increased investment in specialist training and healthcare infrastructure to meet the country’s growing needs.
Naemullah Ayoubi, Director General of Drug and Health Products Regulation at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, has departed for Turkey on an official visit accompanied by a technical delegation.
The Ministry of Public Health said the delegation will hold meetings with officials from Turkey’s pharmaceutical regulatory authority and discuss a number of key issues related to the regulation of medicines and health products.
The delegation is also scheduled to visit several pharmaceutical manufacturing factories in Turkey.
According to the ministry, the visit aims to strengthen coordination between the two countries in the production and import of medicines, in order to ensure the availability of high-quality and affordable pharmaceuticals for people in Afghanistan in both the short and long term.
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