Afghanistan: WHO announces second round of polio vaccination campaign in six provinces

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 28 : As polio remains a persistent issue in Afghanistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the second round of the polio vaccination campaign has begun in six provinces of Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press. 
According to their statement, this campaign has been initiated in five provinces in the northern region and one in the southern region. 
Moreover, the organization has urged the public to cooperate with vaccinators to ensure that children are getting vaccination. 
The provinces included in the second round of the polio vaccine campaign are Jawzjan, Sar-e Pol, Balkh, Faryab, Uruzgan, and Samangan, according to Khaama Press. 
Last Tuesday, the first round of the polio vaccine campaign started across all provinces except for the six Northern provinces. 
Afghanistan remains one of only two countries where the disease is still endemic. The another is Pakistan where children are still affected by the polio virus. 
According to Khaama Press, these two nations are dealing with significant challenges in eliminating polio completely despite global efforts to eradicate this highly contagious disease. 
Moreover, the continued suffering due to polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan can be attributed to geographical barriers, political instability, and difficulties in reaching remote and conflict-affected areas.
The current epidemic situation in the country requires the need for sustained collaboration and comprehensive measures to protect children in these regions from the weakening effects of polio, reported Khaama Press. 
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday said that 32 positive environmental polio samples had been found in Afghanistan so far this year.
According to a recent announcement from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Afghanistan has reported five new instances of wild poliovirus, all of which are believed to have originated in the province of Nangarhar.
In the meantime, the nation has discovered 32 positive environmental samples this year, mostly grouped in the east. Notably, two samples were discovered, one in Balkh in the north and one in Kandahar in the south, demonstrating how far spread the problem is.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a public health emergency in response to a recent environmental polio finding in Kandahar.The absence of authorised house-to-house vaccination efforts in the southern region is cited as the main factor in the situation's high probability of a large outbreak.
The confirmed case of polio highlights the urgent need for extensive preventive measures and vaccination campaigns to stop the outbreak from spreading further.