KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it vaccinated over 11.6 million children under the age of five against polio in Afghanistan in 2024, as part of ongoing efforts to eliminate the virus from one of the last countries where it remains endemic.
The announcement was made Tuesday by Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said that although large-scale vaccination efforts had been carried out, the fight against polio was not yet over.
“Last year, UNICEF in Afghanistan vaccinated over 11.6 million children under 5 against polio. But the fight to End Polio isn’t over,” he wrote. “With our partners, we’re ensuring every child in Afghanistan gets the polio vaccine to protect them.”
Polio is a highly infectious disease that primarily affects children under five. The virus attacks the nervous system and can lead to paralysis or even death. While there is no cure, vaccination remains the most effective means of protection.
The virus has been largely eradicated worldwide thanks to widespread vaccination campaigns. However, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries where polio continues to circulate.
Afghanistan has recorded one positive case so far this year, in the northwestern province of Badghis. In 2024, the country reported 25 cases, mostly in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has recorded at least six positive cases this year. Last year, it recorded 73 cases, most of them in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Vaccination campaigns in both countries continue to face serious obstacles. Misinformation and conspiracy theories have led some communities to reject the polio vaccine, with false claims linking it to infertility or foreign espionage.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban, which has historically hindered polio eradication efforts and targeted health workers, particularly in the southern regions, now faces considerable challenges in eradicating the disease.
