Islamabad: The Ministry of Health of the Afghan community managed by the Taliban announced Sunday, starting a four-day National Polio Vaccination campaign aimed at inocting children under the age of 5.
Over the past three years before controlling Afghanistan, the Taliban had banned the organized vaccination of the team from conducting a door-to campaign -Door in some parts of the country under their control.
The group seems to be suspicious of team members can be eaten for the previous or western government.
Because of the ongoing ban and battle, around 3.3 million children for the past three years have not been vaccinated.
“Without a doubt the polio is a disease without treatment will kill our children or cause permanent disability, so in this case the only way is to implement vaccination,” said Dr.
Qalandar Ebad, Minister of Health of Taliban.
Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains endemic and this disease can cause partial paralysis in children.
Since 2010, the country has implemented a regular inoculation campaign, where workers go from door to door, provide a vaccine to children.
Most workers are women, because they can get better access to the mother and children.
The four-day campaign will begin Monday and take place throughout the country, Ebad said.
The target population estimated is 10 million Afghan children under the age of 5 years, including more than 3.3 million which cannot be contacted since 2018.
“Vaccination (children) are less than five years old in this country during the national immunization period is a giant Tasks.
It is not possible for the Ministry of Public Health itself to complete this task successfully, so we need support from all departments lined, “said Nek Guardian Shah Momin, an official of the Ministry of Health in the Polio Eradication Department.
The ratification of the Taliban reported campaign was intended to show the international community they were willing to cooperate with international institutions.
The old militant rebel power has tried to win world recognition against the new government and reopen the door for international assistance to save the destroyed economy.
The World Health Organization and UN Child Agency UNICEF in a joint statement last month said they were welcomed the decision by the Taliban leadership which supported the resumption of house polio vaccinations throughout the country.
Most countries have been out of vaccination range in recent years.
In the southern part, in particular, a ban by the Taliban applies.
In other areas, the door-to-door campaign is impossible because of fighting between the government and rebels, or because of fear of kidnapping or roadside bombs.
In some places, cleric hardlines speak against vaccination, call them un-syaric or claim they are part of the western plot.
The National Polio Eradication Campaign began in Afghanistan
