KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan has recorded two new cases of wild poliovirus, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases this year to 25, the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean said in its latest update.
The two new cases were detected in Deh-e-Shu district of southern Helmand province on August 4 and Kamdesh district of eastern Nuristan province on August 6, according to the UN agency.
Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus transmission continues. Pakistan has reported four cases so far this year, including one newly confirmed infection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the WHO report said.
Environmental surveillance has detected the virus widely in both countries. Afghanistan has recorded 76 positive environmental samples this year, while Pakistan has reported 128, according to the report.
Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that mainly affects children under five. It spreads through person-to-person contact and can be transmitted through contaminated food or water. In some cases, infection can cause irreversible paralysis and may result in death.
There is no cure for polio, but vaccination can provide effective protection against the disease. Global vaccination campaigns have reduced cases of wild poliovirus by more than 99% since 1988. The virus has been eliminated from most countries, but transmission continues in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Health agencies have identified several challenges to eradication efforts in the two countries, including insecurity, difficult terrain, limited access to some communities, and resistance to vaccination fueled by misinformation.
Taliban restrictions on female health workers, including requirements for male guardians and limits on women’s participation in campaigns, have further constrained the program. In the past, the group has also targeted vaccinators in eastern and southern provinces, contributing to insecurity that has disrupted immunization drives and heightened risks for frontline teams.
WHO and other health agencies continue to stress the need for high vaccination coverage, uninterrupted campaigns, and efforts to reach every child in order to interrupt transmission in the two remaining endemic countries.
