Diseases
Afghanistan reports first polio case of the year
An Afghan child is vaccinated against polio as part of a campaign. photo
© Mariam Zuhaib/AP/dpa
Vaccination campaigns for polio vaccination in Afghanistan are repeatedly overshadowed by violent incidents by extremists. Now there is a first case of polio.
In Afghanistan, a case of polio has been registered for the first time in 2023. A four-year-old child in eastern Nangarhar province has contracted polio, the country’s Taliban-led health ministry said.
Last year, two cases of polio caused by wild types of the pathogen became known in Afghanistan. A nationwide vaccination campaign is planned for the coming week, it said. More than 6.4 million children should therefore receive a vaccination.
Along with neighboring Pakistan, Afghanistan is one of the few countries where new cases of polio have been detected. Vaccination campaigns in both countries are repeatedly overshadowed by violent incidents by extremists. Among other things, vaccination workers are accused of being spies. The Taliban had also banned door-to-door vaccination campaigns in the areas they controlled before taking full power in August 2021.
Polio is a contagious, infectious disease that can cause paralysis and death. It can cause permanent paralysis, especially in small children. The virus is often spread through contaminated water. So far there is no cure for polio.