KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A new polio case has been reported in Afghanistan’s southern Uruzgan province, health officials said on Thursday, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases this year to 16.
The latest case involves a two-year-old girl from the Sarkhom area of Tirinkot, the provincial capital. She developed symptoms several months ago, and her test was recently confirmed positive, according to a health official.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had previously confirmed 15 polio cases in Afghanistan this year, the highest number recorded globally. Pakistan, the only other country where polio remains endemic, has reported three cases so far this year.
Most of Afghanistan’s cases have been reported in eastern and southern provinces bordering Pakistan, where frequent cross-border movement poses challenges to efforts to contain the virus. One case has been reported in the western province of Herat, according to WHO data.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have also reported 161 positive environmental samples this year, including 53 in Afghanistan and 108 in Pakistan, the WHO said.
Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children under five. It spreads through contaminated food and water or close contact and can cause permanent paralysis and, in severe cases, death. There is no cure for polio, but vaccination can prevent infection and its complications.
Vaccination campaigns in both countries continue to face challenges, including misinformation and conspiracy theories that have fueled vaccine hesitancy. False claims have included allegations that polio vaccines cause infertility or are linked to 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.
