Recent news from Afghanistan reveals that the Taliban have halted polio vaccination campaigns, a critical blow in the fight against this potentially fatal disease. Afghanistan, along with Pakistan, is one of the only two countries where polio transmission has never been stopped.
While the reason behind the suspension remains unclear, the impact is significant, with the World Health Organization confirming 18 polio cases in Afghanistan this year alone. The Taliban-controlled government is reportedly considering a shift from house-to-house vaccinations to more centralized locations like mosques.
Neighboring Pakistan faces similar challenges with anti-polio campaigns marred by violence and conspiracy theories undermining the efforts. With Afghanistan suspending the September campaign, the global initiative to eradicate polio faces yet another setback.
This halt comes amidst a history of missed deadlines and technical errors in vaccination strategies, with the oral vaccine itself unintentionally causing outbreaks in multiple countries. The WHO warns that any setback in Afghanistan poses a risk to Pakistan’s program due to high population movement.
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