Nationwide anti-polio drive begins, MoPH urges public support

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Public Health has asked families and religious scholars to cooperate in a successful implementation of a nationwide anti-polio campaign that began on Monday.

In a statement, MoPH wrote the ministry in collaboration with relevant international agencies launched the second round of the nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign from May 26 to 29.

It said during the four-day campaign, 11.8 million children under the age of five would be given the drops.

In addition to polio vaccine, mebendazole tablets would be distributed to all children between the ages of 2 and 5, the report added.

Mebendazole tablets are used to treat diseases caused by intestinal parasites (worms).

“The MoPH is committed to stopping the wild polio virus in Afghanistan with the cooperation of partners. We are working and continuing polio vaccination campaigns and health supplementation services to achieve the goal of completely eradicating polio virus in the country”: the statement quoted Acting Minister Maulvi Noor Jalal Jalali as saying.

“It is important that religious scholars, tribal elders, parents, and other influential figures in society across the country support vaccinators so that they could participate in the fight against polio and protect the health of their children”.

According to MoPH, polio is a viral disease that cannot be treated or cured and can only be prevented by the vaccine. Children infected with this disease either permanently paralyze or even killed. Currently, the polio virus is circulating in the country, and MoPH is fully prepared to combat it.

hz/ma