A child is getting Polio Vaccine somewhere in Kabul, March 29, 2021. (AP Photo)
The Taliban have halted polio vaccination efforts in Afghanistan, according to a U.N. report released Monday. This suspension is a significant blow to global efforts to eradicate polio, a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis and is challenging to control once it starts spreading among unvaccinated children.
Afghanistan, along with Pakistan, is one of the last two countries where polio remains endemic. The halt in vaccinations could have serious repercussions for neighboring countries and beyond, potentially undoing years of progress in the fight against the disease.
The U.N. was informed of the suspension just before the September vaccination campaign was scheduled to begin. The reason for the suspension has not been disclosed, and officials from the Taliban government have not provided comments.
A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official mentioned that there have been discussions about shifting from door-to-door vaccinations to administering vaccines at public places like mosques. The WHO has reported 18 polio cases in Afghanistan this year, mostly in the southern regions, a significant increase from the six cases recorded in 2023.
Dr. Hamid Jafari from the WHO acknowledged that there are ongoing discussions about changing the vaccination strategy. "The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is aware of these policy discussions and is currently assessing the impact of any proposed changes," he said.
Polio vaccination efforts in neighboring Pakistan are frequently disrupted by violence. Militants often target vaccination teams and the police who protect them, with some claiming the campaigns are a Western plot to sterilize children.
In August, the WHO noted that both Afghanistan and Pakistan were engaged in an “intensive and synchronized campaign” aimed at improving vaccination coverage in areas where the disease is prevalent and responding effectively to new cases.
In June 2024, Afghanistan adopted a door-to-door vaccination strategy for the first time in five years, which helped reach most of the children targeted. However, in southern Kandahar, where the Taliban’s leader resides, vaccinations were conducted at public sites such as mosques, a method less effective than home visits.
Kandahar remains a high-risk area due to the lack of door-to-door vaccination efforts, and the WHO has pointed out that only about 20% of women are involved in vaccination campaigns, limiting access to all children.
Any setbacks in Afghanistan pose a risk to polio eradication efforts in Pakistan due to the high movement of people between the two countries. Pakistani health official Anwarul Haq warned that without consistent and synchronized vaccination efforts, the virus will continue to spread. He emphasized that Afghan refugees are a major concern as they frequently cross into Pakistan, unlike those from neighboring countries like India and Iran.
The suspension of the campaign adds to the challenges facing the global fight against polio. The eradication initiative, which costs around $1 billion annually, has struggled to meet its goals and has faced setbacks due to technical issues and the unintentional spread of polio from the oral vaccine in various countries.
Recently, a case of polio was reported in Gaza, where a baby was partially paralyzed by a mutated strain of the virus from the oral vaccine, marking the territory’s first case in over 25 years.
