RASC News Agency: Sources report that the Taliban, in various Afghanistan provinces, has called on UNICEF to redirect its polio vaccination awareness efforts from domestic media channels to religious clerics. Officials from local radio stations confirm that the polio awareness campaign has seen a halt over recent months. Taliban representatives in Kabul and other regions stated on Sunday, October 27, that they have notified media centers to assign UNICEF’s polio awareness outreach to mosque leaders instead of relying on domestic media. This marks the Taliban’s latest move to exert control over public health messaging, restricting the influence of external entities in Afghanistan.
According to these sources, the Taliban conveyed to media organizations that traditional media has limited impact in promoting polio awareness. They assert that clerics, through their sermons, could significantly enhance public understanding of this critical health matter. Officials from various television and radio outlets report that polio-related advertising has mysteriously ceased over the past three months. Media outlets have raised concerns over Taliban-imposed restrictions, diminishing funds, and declining advertising revenues, warning that these issues could force many Afghanistan media outlets to shut down.
Currently, UNICEF entrusts its polio awareness initiatives to local agencies, which broadcast the campaign across Afghanistan media. However, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada recently ordered an end to door-to-door child vaccination efforts, insisting instead that polio awareness be promoted through mosque networks. In related developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on September 30, 2024, that three new cases of polio were identified in Kandahar and Helmand provinces between August 21 and August 31.
