New Round of Polio Vaccinations Begins in Afghanistan

Afghanistan launches second nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026

Afghanistan has launched the second round of its sub-national polio vaccination campaign for 2026, aiming to vaccinate more than 8.3 million children under the age of five across 20 provinces, the Ministry of Public Health announced.

The nationwide campaign began on May 18 and will continue until May 21 in 194 districts spanning the country’s central, southern, eastern, western, southeastern, northern, and northeastern regions.

Health authorities said that in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, and Zabul provinces, the vaccination drive will begin one day later, running from May 19 to May 22.

The campaign is being conducted by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health in cooperation with international partner organizations as part of ongoing efforts to eliminate wild poliovirus transmission in the country.

Speaking at the official launch ceremony, Public Health Minister Noor Jalal Jalali said the ministry remains fully committed to stopping the spread of the virus and will continue nationwide immunization efforts until polio is completely eradicated from Afghanistan.

“We are continuing vaccination campaigns and supplementary health services in close coordination with our international partners to ensure every child is protected from this preventable disease,” Jalali said.

He also called on religious scholars, tribal elders, parents, and influential community leaders to actively support vaccination teams and encourage families to ensure their children receive the vaccine.

The ministry stressed that polio is a highly infectious viral disease with no cure, and vaccination remains the only effective way to prevent infection. Children infected with poliovirus can suffer lifelong paralysis or even death.

Officials urged parents to ensure that all children under the age of five receive the vaccine during the campaign period. Vaccination teams have been deployed to designated locations across communities, including urban centers and remote districts, to maximize coverage.

The latest campaign comes as Afghanistan faces mounting humanitarian and public health pressures linked to the mass return and deportation of Afghan migrants from neighboring Pakistan and Iran, placing additional strain on the country’s already fragile healthcare system.

International health organizations have repeatedly warned that large-scale population movements, disrupted healthcare access, and gaps in routine immunization coverage significantly increase the risk of poliovirus transmission, particularly in border regions and vulnerable communities.

Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus transmission has yet to be fully eradicated, despite decades of intensive international vaccination efforts.

Health officials say sustained public cooperation, uninterrupted vaccination access, and strong community support remain essential if Afghanistan is to finally eliminate one of the world’s last remaining reservoirs of the virus.