KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that Afghanistan has recorded 23 cases of polio since January 2024, the highest number of confirmed cases in recent years.
In its weekly update released on Tuesday, November 12, WHO stated that the highest number of polio cases were recorded in August, with 7 cases. This was followed by July and June, each registering 4 cases.
The majority of polio cases have been reported in the southern and eastern provinces, particularly in Kandahar, Helmand, and Nangarhar, with two recent cases in Kandahar and one in Helmand.
The number of confirmed polio cases in Afghanistan this year is the highest since 2020, when 56 cases were recorded across the country.
In 2023, Afghanistan recorded 6 confirmed polio cases, all of which were in the eastern Nangarhar province, located along the border with Pakistan.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last two countries still grappling with endemic polio, while the rest of the world has successfully eradicated the virus through effective vaccination campaigns and other protective measures.
According to the WHO report, Pakistan has recorded 48 polio cases so far this year, with the majority of cases reported in the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Vaccination efforts in both Afghanistan and Pakistan are often hindered by conspiracy theories in rural areas, where polio vaccinations are falsely linked to infertility or viewed with suspicion, with some fearing that vaccinators may be involved in espionage. These beliefs create significant barriers to reaching communities, complicating efforts to eradicate polio in the region.
The ruling regime in Afghanistan, which has historically hindered polio eradication efforts and targeted vaccinators in the southern parts of the country, faces significant challenges in combating the disease.
The Taliban’s restrictive measures against women and girls, such as excluding female vaccinators in several provinces and mandating that female staff be accompanied by male guardians, continue to significantly hinder the polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan.
In some provinces, including Kandahar, where the majority of polio cases have been reported, the Taliban authorities have recently halted house-to-house vaccination efforts. Vaccinations are now allowed only in mosques, and female vaccinators have been excluded from participating in the campaign.
