Poliovirus in Afghanistan threat to world: UNICEF

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): The poliovirus circulation continues to pose a serious threat to children in Afghanistan the world at large, warns a UNICEF official.

UNICEF immunisation chief in Afghanistan Mohammed Mohammedi issued the warning in an interview with a leading Pakistani newspaper.

He said the increasing number of polio cases, particularly in the south, necessitates a more integrated approach to service delivery and greater participation by Taliban in the policy-making process on vaccination programme.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries where the virus remains endemic.

In both countries, vaccination campaigns were suspended in March 2020 for several months after the coronavirus pandemic. The vaccination resumed in August 2020.

Mohammedi told The News there were several reasons for the continued circulation of the wild poliovirus in Afghanistan.

He believed demands and requests from communities had long been ignored, contributing to a slowdown in polio eradication efforts.

Corruption, poor management of the polio programme and interference in the selection of programme staff also militated against the success of efforts at eradicating the disease, he noted.

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