Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health has launched the country’s first polio vaccination campaign of 2026, saying around 7.3 million children under the age of five are expected to receive oral drops during the round.
In an official statement, the ministry said the campaign is being implemented from 2 to 5 February 2026 in 18 provinces, including Kabul, Herat and Kunduz. It added that in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan and Zabul, the drive will run from 3 to 6 February.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Sharafat Zaman Amarkhail, said a follow-up round is planned in parts of the north-west to support implementation. “In order for the campaign to be implemented properly, it will be carried out in two districts of Faryab and two districts of Badghis next week, from the 9th to the 12th,” he said.
In Kabul, vaccination teams told AnewZ that freezing temperatures have reduced public cooperation during this round, despite teams being stationed at designated locations.
One resident, Rashid Ahmad, said he was “happy that the Afghan government is taking the polio vaccination campaign seriously.” He added: “All parents should cooperate with the vaccinators so these vaccines can reach every child.”
Afghanistan, alongside Pakistan, remains among the countries where children are still affected by polio, with health officials warning that sustained campaigns and community cooperation are key to ending transmission.
Iran has rejected claims it has been weakened, vowing instead “more crushing” attacks against the United States and ...
A U.S. fighter jet has reportedly been shot down over Iran, with a search and rescue operation underway for the...
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz has hailed the growing importance of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) am...
Across China, people are taking part in a wide range of activities to honour fallen heroes ahead of the Qingming Festival, a traditional time for r...
The Central Eurasian Venture Forum has brought together investors, start-ups and technology leaders in Tashkent, highlighting the region’s ra...
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks with Pakistan, as both sides meet in Urumqi amid efforts by Beijing to ease tensions between the neighbours.
Afghanistan remains the third most affected country globally for unexploded ordnance casualties, with more than 50 people killed or injured each month, a United Nations official has said.
Pakistan is holding talks with Afghanistan to end the worst conflict between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
At least 1,492 Afghans died or went missing during migration journeys worldwide in 2025, most on the Afghanistan–Iran route, according to a new International Organization for Migration (IOM) report.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on NASA's Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States' boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging some buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said.
President Donald Trump staunchly defended his handling of the month-old U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in a prime-time address on Wednesday, saying the U.S. military was nearing completion of its mission while also reinforcing his threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Age.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz has hailed the growing importance of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) amid rapidly shifting regional and global dynamics.
The Central Eurasian Venture Forum has brought together investors, start-ups and technology leaders in Tashkent, highlighting the region’s rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem and growing investor interest in AI and digital solutions.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks with Pakistan, as both sides meet in Urumqi amid efforts by Beijing to ease tensions between the neighbours.
Reeling from macroeconomic shockwaves triggered by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, authorities in Dhaka have activated emergency national protocols aimed at sharply reducing domestic power consumption.
Former Kyrgyz MP Shairbek Tashiev has been detained in a corruption investigation linked to state oil firm Kyrgyzneftegaz, as the case expands to include members of a powerful political family.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment