AT News
KABUL: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on Monday said that a four day anti-polio immunization drive started to vaccinate 9.9 million children in 34 provinces across the country.The campaign launched by the MoPH in cooperation with the WHO and UNICEF, which through 9.9 million under five years children will receive immunization drops, as well as two-five years children will be provided Albendazole tablets (Anti-worm medicine) , MoPH said in a statement.Statement said that as the Polio campaign faced disorder challenges due to Covid-19 outbreak and insecurity in 2020, the (WPV1) and (cVDPV2) polio cases increased in the country. In order to cope with the mentioned challenges, the polio campaign intensified efforts to fight both types of the polio.According to the statement, Acting Minister for Public Health Dr. Wahid Majroh said that deprived of 3.3 million children from vaccination in some parts of the country is still a matter of concern.He said that “elimination of polio is a massive responsibility, so I call on all sides to let the children have access to vaccines and all vital services.”Several times vaccinations are the only way to stop polio, which is in a circulation condition in Afghanistan.Statement said that since the start of 2021, one case of first type and 40 cases of second type of polio has been confirmed. These all cases reported from those areas, where the polio campaign failed to have access to the children there. As covid-19 pandemic is increasing, thus the vaccinators will seriously consider all precautions and MoPH advice during the vaccination campaign.Acting minister asked all parents to take up the polio campaign seriously and let their children receive the two drops of anti-polio to be immunized against this disease.