The Afghan government launched the first nationwide polio vaccination campaign for 2026 on Monday to cover around 12.6 million children under five in the post-war nation.
Ms Lafoucriere urged intensified efforts in health education
Ms Rafique expressed UNICEF’s readiness to support all LGAS, communities, and the state in ensuring that all qualified children are vaccinated.
The last case of wild poliovirus was detected in Nigeria in 2016.
According to the ministry, in 2022, two cases of the wild type of poliovirus were detected in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Public Health of the Afghan caretaker government has launched a nationwide polio vaccination campaign.
Israel began vaccination against the polio virus in 1957. Before March, the last case registered was in 1988.
Last month, the Taliban gave WHO and UNICEF the green light to resume polio vaccination after a three-year pause.
