A new round of nationwide polio vaccination drive has begun in Afghanistan, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
The vaccination drive started today, Monday, 23rd May. Vitamin A supplementation campaign has also begun in addition to the polio vaccine.
According to the Taliban Ministry of Public Health, this vaccination drive will vaccinate 9.9 million children under the age of five.
Polio is a dangerous, incurable viral disease that can only be prevented through vaccination. The condition renders children permanently crippled.
The only two countries in the world with polio are Afghanistan and Pakistan.
UNICEF Afghanistan also wrote on its Twitter handle that a polio vaccination drive has begun in Afghanistan, and that all Afghan families should vaccinate their children.
Due to Taliban opposition and security issues in Afghanistan, polio vaccination campaigns have not been effectively implemented in recent years.
