In a major setback to efforts to eradicate the highly contagious polio disease in Afghanistan, the Taliban leadership has cancelled a nationwide vaccination drive. The Taliban government took this unexpected decision just days before the campaign was to begin. With 18 confirmed cases this year (three times the number reported in 2023), Afghanistan now faces the risk of a resurgence of the highly contagious disease. The World Health Organization has warned that unvaccinated populations of children, especially in areas with rising polio outbreaks, could undo years of global efforts to eradicate the virus.
“The reason for postponing the polio campaign is problems in the implementation process,” the health official told IANS. The Guardian “The current government leadership has ordered us not to go door-to-door campaigning,” he said on condition of anonymity.
Instead, the Taliban government wants to shift vaccination efforts to local mosques, with the hope that families will bring their children to get vaccinated.
“This is very bad news for the polio program,” the official said. “To make eradication successful, we need to give more than 95% of children two doses of the vaccine.
“But without a door-to-door campaign, we will not be able to reach (that target). This will put the whole country, even the whole region, at risk.”
according to The GuardianWhile the Taliban have banned women from working in a variety of sectors, women in the healthcare sector have largely been allowed to remain in their jobs.
However, the health worker said: “Women in the southern region face restrictions from local authorities in participating in the programme, especially in rural areas.”
The health official agreed. “Women have played a key role in the success of door-to-door campaigns and in spreading awareness about vaccines among mothers and families, as men are not allowed to visit those places in a very conservative society,” he said.
According to the United Nations, Afghanistan and Pakistan Despite the continued concerted efforts by the polio program to achieve polio-free status in the world, in Afghanistan, the battle to cover the last mile has become a significant challenge, resulting in an increase in the number of polio cases during the last three years. Unfortunately, the poliovirus is currently spreading in provinces that have been polio-free for a long time.
