Health
WHO reports 283% increase in polio cases in Afghanistan this year
Since the last WHO Emergency Committee meeting, in July this year, 51 new wild polio cases were reported – 17 from Afghanistan and 34 from Pakistan – bringing the total to 62 in 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday reported at an Emergency Committee meeting on the spread of polio that Afghanistan has recorded a 283% increase in polio cases in in the country this year.
According to a statement issued by WHO, since the last Emergency Committee meeting, in July this year, 51 new wild polio cases were reported – 17 from Afghanistan and 34 from Pakistan – bringing the total to 62 in 2024.
This represents a 283% increase in paralytic cases in Afghanistan and a 550% increase in Pakistan compared to all of 2023, WHO reported.
WHO stated there has been an upward trend of wild polio detection in Pakistan since mid-2023, mostly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
In Afghanistan, there has been an increase mainly in the south since late last year 2023.
The emergency meeting to address the surge in polio cases was held on November 6, 2024, and chaired by the WHO Director-General. The statement however, was only released on Tuesday, December 3.
WHO noted that both countries had implemented two nationwide vaccination campaign rounds in 2024. Afghanistan has however implemented an additional four and Pakistan an additional six sub-national vaccination rounds.
“After very encouraging progress towards implementing house-to-house campaigns in all of Afghanistan during the first half of 2024, Afghanistan programme has recently gone back to implementing site-to-site modality campaigns.
“The Committee was concerned about this recent development, since site-to-site campaigns are not able to reach all the children in Afghanistan especially those of younger age and girls, which may lead to a further upsurge of WPV1 (wild polio) with geographical spread in Afghanistan and beyond,” the statement read.
WHO stated that in addition to seasonal movement patterns within and between the two endemic countries, the continued return of undocumented migrants from Pakistan to Afghanistan was compounding the challenges.
“The scale of the displacement increases the risk of cross-border poliovirus spread as well as spread within both the countries.
“This risk is being managed and mitigated in both countries through vaccination at border crossing points and the updating of micro-plans in the districts of origin and return. The programme continues to closely coordinate with IOM and UNHCR,” the statement read.
The organization emphasized the need for more comprehensive vaccination efforts to prevent further spread of the disease and for the international community to step up efforts to help the two countries eliminate the virus.
Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan, held a meeting in Kabul with representatives of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and other international organizations.
According to the ministry’s statement, representatives of these international organizations discussed the delivery of health and development services, improving the management of aid and resources in the health sector, integrating health facilities and aligning them with the new policy, providing health services in accordance with the Ministry of Public Health’s policy, strengthening the immunization and vaccination sector, delivering services based on priorities, and ensuring sustained coordination.
During the meeting, Jalali stressed the need for transparency and attention to the ministry’s priorities in order to enhance the effectiveness and impact of health services. He added that the delivery of health services must be carried out in line with the ministry’s policy and through better management of existing international assistance.
Referring to vaccination campaigns, he stated that the recent measles and polio vaccination campaign had been implemented very successfully, and emphasized that necessary preparations should be made for upcoming campaigns.
He also provided information regarding the review of the BPHS and EPHS health packages and the establishment of a standardized system through technical committees.
In this meeting, Edwin Ceniza, the WHO Representative for Afghanistan, reaffirmed the organization’s continued cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and expressed appreciation to the ministry’s leadership for their tireless efforts to improve the health system.
Representatives of these organizations pledged to maintain effective and sustained coordination and to provide their services within the country in accordance with the policies and principles of the Ministry of Public Health.
Abdul Wali Haqqani, Deputy Minister for Health Services at the Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has departed for Turkey on an official visit accompanied by a high-ranking delegation.
According to a statement released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday, the trip aims to acquire new health-sector expertise, assess Turkish medical and scientific institutions, meet with Turkish health and government officials, and strengthen bilateral cooperation.
During the visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet representatives from both public and private health sectors to support improvements in Afghanistan’s healthcare system and enhance coordination between the two countries, the statement added.
Health
Polio vaccination drive launches across 17 Afghan provinces
Officials say routine vaccination remains the most effective tool for eliminating polio and have urged families to fully cooperate with health teams during the campaign.
The Ministry of Public Health has announced the launch of a major anti-polio vaccination campaign, set to begin on Monday across 17 provinces of Afghanistan.
According to Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the ministry, the nationwide initiative will target 7.4 million children under the age of five, delivering vaccines door-to-door to prevent the spread of the poliovirus and safeguard children’s health.
Officials say routine vaccination remains the most effective tool for eliminating polio and have urged families to fully cooperate with health teams during the campaign.
This effort forms part of the government’s ongoing strategy to protect Afghanistan’s next generation from preventable diseases and strengthen public health across the country.
This comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) recently again classified the global spread of poliovirus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the disease remains endemic in only two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The decision followed the 43rd meeting of the Polio Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR), which convened on 1 October 2025.
According to the Committee, Afghanistan reported four new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases so far this year, compared to 24 in Pakistan.
The Afghan cases were detected in the country’s southern and eastern regions, where transmission remains intense despite ongoing vaccination efforts.
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