RASC News Agency: According to the Afghanistan Analysts Network, the Taliban’s restrictive measures have significantly contributed to a spike in polio cases in Afghanistan. The report indicates that the Taliban has limited the polio vaccination campaign to mosques and rural centers, preventing vaccinators from conducting house-to-house visits. This constraint has led to an alarming rise in poliomyelitis cases throughout the country. Published on Sunday, February 2, the report reveals that polio vaccination efforts have been carried out in 16 provinces across Afghanistan.
The network’s findings highlight that these restrictions have resulted in a doubling of polio cases within the nation. The report states: “After two halts to the vaccination program last year, the Taliban finally resumed the polio vaccination for children under five in late October. However, they restricted vaccine distribution to mosques and rural centers, prohibiting house-to-house visits by vaccinators.” Many women in rural regions have been left unaware of the vaccination campaign, as it has been confined to mosques, the report notes.
One mother from Helmand told the network: “It is extremely difficult for a woman to take her children to crowded places. I prefer house-to-house vaccinations. I know that if the men aren’t home to take the children for the vaccination, some women will never get their children vaccinated.” The Afghanistan Analysts Network further emphasized that parents have raised concerns over the lack of adequate information about the vaccination campaign, expressing a clear preference for house-to-house vaccinations for easier access. The Taliban’s insistence on conducting the vaccination only in mosques has led to widespread unawareness among many women.
The report concluded: “Almost all interviewees reported experiencing some form of difficulty or discomfort, stressing that house-to-house vaccination would make the process much more accessible and efficient.” Recent reports indicate that polio cases have surged in both Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent months.
