RASC News Agency: In light of available information, the Polio Vaccination Campaign targeting children is poised to commence on Monday, December 25th, spanning 21 provinces nationwide. This proactive endeavor aims to provide the polio vaccine to 2.5 million children under the age of five, predominantly concentrated in the eastern regions of the nation. The official platform of the Polio Vaccination Campaign, recognized as “Polio-Free Afghanistan,” has proclaimed that children under the age of five in the eastern provinces, specifically in the northeastern, southeastern, southern, and western regions of the country, will undergo administration of this vaccine.
Afghanistan’s state television, functioning under the administration of the Taliban, disseminates reports from health authorities in Nangarhar province, asserting that, throughout this seven-day initiative, 2.5 million children will be inoculated with the Polio vaccine in Nangarhar, Laghman, and Kunar provinces. This development follows the recording of six cases of pediatric polio in the country this year, all confined to Nangarhar province. It is noteworthy that Afghanistan and Pakistan stand as the sole nations worldwide yet to eliminate pediatric polio.
According to available reports, antedating the Taliban’s assumption of control in Afghanistan, there were escalating restrictions on the Polio Vaccination Campaign. Presently, the campaign confronts hurdles and constraints imposed by this group. Citing certain reports, it is disclosed that the Taliban impeded the efforts of several female vaccinators in diverse provinces, considered a contributing factor to the persistent prevalence of polio among Afghanistani children.
