Kabul [Afghanistan], July 19 (ANI): Afghanistan will launch a nationwide polio vaccination campaign on July 20, targeting children under the age of five to protect them from the debilitating virus, the Afghanistan Polio-Free Organization announced, according to Khaama Press.
The campaign will cover several provinces and districts and will also provide Vitamin A supplements alongside the oral polio vaccine to help strengthen children’s immune systems. This combined effort is intended to boost resistance against other diseases and improve overall child health, Khaama Press reported.
“The campaign aims to protect children under the age of five from the debilitating effects of polio,” the organization stated, urging families to ensure no child is left out. Parents and guardians were specifically called upon to collaborate with health teams and support full community participation. A free helpline, 141, has been set up to answer public queries about the initiative.
Polio is a highly infectious virus that primarily affects children and spreads through contaminated water. It can cause fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, and limb pain — and in about one in 200 cases, it results in irreversible paralysis. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, Khaama Press noted.
“Polio vaccination is one of the most effective ways to ensure a healthier, brighter future for Afghan children,” the organization reiterated. It emphasized that vaccination campaigns are a significant step toward a polio-free future for the country and stressed that continued public cooperation is essential for success.
In support of these efforts, Japan has provided USD 5 million through UNICEF to bolster polio eradication and strengthen immunization programs in all 34 Afghan provinces, Khaama Press reported. The Government of Japan, working with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has partnered with UNICEF on a 12-month initiative to reach more than 13 million children with polio vaccines and routine immunizations.
UNICEF stated on July 10 that the new grant reaffirms Japan’s longstanding commitment to Afghanistan’s health sector and will help sustain progress toward eradicating polio, especially in underserved, conflict-affected, and hard-to-reach areas.
Afghanistan is one of just two countries where wild poliovirus transmission has not been halted. While under-five and maternal mortality rates have declined in recent years, millions of Afghan children remain vulnerable to preventable diseases due to limited access to basic health services.
A resurgence of polio in 2023 highlighted significant immunity gaps, particularly among children in previously inaccessible areas and among mobile or cross-border populations. Despite improvements in cold-chain infrastructure and expanded vaccine coverage, the need to bridge these gaps remains urgent, Khaama Press added. (ANI)
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