Anti-polio drive to kick off in 6 provinces

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is launching a four-day polio vaccination campaign on Monday targeting 1.6 million children under five years age in six provinces.

Kamal Shah Syed, an official of UNICEF office in Afghanistan, told Pajhwok Afghan News the campaign will be launched today (August 28) in Balkh, Jawzjan, Samangan, Sar-i-Pul, Faryab and Uruzgan provinces.

He said during the four-day campaign, nearly 1.6 million children below five years of age would be vaccinated against polio.

Last week, about 11 million children were vaccinated in 30 provinces during a four-day immunization drive.

According to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), five positive cases of the crippling disease have so far surfaced in the country this year.

kk/ma