Big setback for polio eradication in Afghanistan: Taliban suspend virus vaccination campaigns, says UN

The polio eradication efforts in Afghanistan have suffered a big setback. The United Nations (UN) said on Monday (Sept 16) that the Taliban suspended polio vaccination campaigns in the country. 

Polio is one of the world's most infectious viruses and any unvaccinated group of children where the virus is spreading could undo years of progress. Afghanistan is one of two countries in which the spread of polio has never stopped. The other country is Pakistan.

A report by the news agency Associated Press on Monday said that it was likely that the Taliban's decision (to suspend polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan) would have major repercussions for other countries in the region and beyond.

No reason given for suspending vaccination campaigns

The Taliban gave no reason for suspending vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the Associated Press report said. The news of the suspension was relayed to UN agencies right before the September immunisation campaign was due to start.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed 18 polio cases in Afghanistan this year, all but two in the south of the country. That’s up from six cases in 2023.

A shift in location of administering vaccines

Speaking to the news agency, a top WHO official said that the agency was aware of discussions to move away house-to-house vaccinations and instead have immunisations in places like mosques.

“The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is aware of the recent policy discussions on shifting from house-to-house polio vaccination campaigns to site-to-site vaccination in parts of Afghanistan,” Dr Hamid Jafari from the WHO said.

“Partners are in the process of discussing and understanding the scope and impact of any change in current policy,” Dr Jafari added.

House-to-house vaccination strategy used for first time in 5 years

During a campaign in June, Afghanistan used a house-to-house vaccination strategy for the first time in five years, a tactic that helped to reach the majority of children targeted, the WHO said.

However, in the southern Kandahar province, the base of Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada used site-to-site or mosque-to-mosque vaccination campaigns, which are less effective than going to people’s homes.

Kandahar continues to have a large pool of susceptible children because it is not carrying out house-to-house vaccinations, the WHO said.

In August, the agency warned that any setback in Afghanistan posed a risk to the programme in Pakistan due to high population movement.

(With inputs from agencies)