A statement released by the Central Office for Polio at the Ministry of Public Health, which operates under Taliban control, announced that a polio vaccination campaign will begin on Monday in several provinces of Afghanistan. The campaign targets children under the age of five in an effort to prevent the spread of the poliovirus.
According to the statement, the campaign will be launched in provinces near the Durand Line, the de facto border with Pakistan. The reason for starting the campaign in these specific provinces, the statement explains, is to prevent potential polio cases among returning refugees.
It is worth noting that in recent weeks, thousands of Afghan refugees have returned from Pakistan, raising fears that polio infections could spread further within Afghanistan.
