RASC News Agency: “The Guardian” reports that one of the key reasons behind the Taliban’s suspension of door-to-door polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan is due to security concerns. Citing a member of the polio eradication initiative, the newspaper states: “One of the reasons for halting door-to-door polio campaigns is security. Southern Afghanistan, particularly Kandahar, is home to Taliban leaders, and they fear that these campaigns may expose their locations to external threats.”
The campaign member further remarked to “The Guardian”: “This is a major setback for the polio eradication program. To effectively eliminate polio, we need to vaccinate over 95% of children with two doses. Without door-to-door campaigns, we will not be able to reach this target, placing the entire country, and even the region, at risk.” Meanwhile, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued warnings that Afghanistan is at significant risk of a polio outbreak. They point to the Taliban’s suspension of vaccination efforts, citing security concerns and the restrictions placed on women as the primary factors.
According to the report, the WHO confirmed that 18 new polio cases have been reported in Afghanistan this year, a significant increase from last year. Eleven of these cases were recorded in Kandahar. Earlier, the Associated Press, citing the United Nations, reported that the Taliban had stopped polio vaccination efforts in Afghanistan. However, Sharafat Zaman, the spokesperson for the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Public Health, denied these reports, stating: “No official letter has been issued regarding the suspension of polio vaccinations.”
It is important to note that polio is an extremely contagious viral disease that can cause paralysis and death, particularly in infants and young children. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries where the poliovirus remains endemic.
