The Ministry of Public Health, with support from international organizations, launched Afghanistan’s second nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 on Monday, aiming to immunize approximately 11.8 million children under the age of five against the polio virus.

The four-day campaign, running from May 26 to May 29, will cover all districts of the country, according to the Ministry’s spokesperson, as reported by Bakhtar News Agency.

In addition to the polio vaccine, children aged 24 to 59 months will receive albendazole tablets to treat worm-related infections, as part of a broader effort to provide complementary health services. The initiative reflects Afghanistan’s ongoing commitment to eradicating polio, a viral disease that can cause permanent paralysis or death in children and has no cure, making vaccination the only effective prevention method.

Speaking at the campaign’s launch, Minister of Public Health Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali emphasized the government’s dedication to halting the spread of the wild poliovirus. “Together with our international partners, we are committed to preventing the spread of the wild poliovirus across Afghanistan,” Jalali stated. He further underscored the Ministry’s goal to combine polio vaccination efforts with additional health services to achieve the complete eradication of the disease nationwide.

Jalali called on tribal elders, community leaders, religious scholars, and citizens to collaborate with the Ministry’s vaccination teams to ensure the campaign’s success. “We urge all communities to support our teams in reaching every child, as their cooperation is vital to stopping the spread of this virus,” he said.

Afghanistan remains one of the few countries where polio is still endemic, and the Ministry of Public Health has prioritized sustained vaccination campaigns to combat the disease. With the support of international partners, this latest effort aims to protect millions of children and move the country closer to a polio-free future. (ILKHA)