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.
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heri...
Kazakhstan marks Republic Day on 25 October with an ambitious economic agenda and a growing partnership with Azerbaijan, as the two Caspian neighbo...
Thousands of Israelis rallied in T...
Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down trees, cut power and disrupted transport across the island.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described a deadly shooting in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, as a racist attack and ‘a turning point’ for the country.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
Armenian authorities have detained 10 more people in a vote-buying investigation involving the opposition Strong Armenia party, just two days before local elections in the northern town of Stepanavan.
Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding an independent commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack, three days before a national election.
Saudi Arabia religious leaders have condemned attacks targeting holy sites and civilians after authorities reported intercepting two ballistic missiles launched towards the Mecca and Medina regions, while Yemen’s Houthi movement denied targeting the two cities.
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heritage of Samarkand belongs to Persian or Iranian-Islamic civilisation, Tashkent's Foreign Ministry said.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
Foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul on Friday warned that renewed military strikes on Iran could deepen the regional conflict, urging diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment