7.5M children to receive anti-polio vaccines in Afghanistan

More than 7.5 million children under five would receive anti-polio vaccines in 21 out of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, a statement of the country’s Ministry of Public Health said.

A total of 7,580,085 children under five would receive the doses of vaccines in 233 districts of 21 provinces during the four-day anti-polio campaign launched on Monday, the statement added.

A similar campaign to eradicate the crippling disease was also launched a month ago on Dec. 29 in the war-ravaged country, during which around 7.5 million children under five were vaccinated against polio.

According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two remaining polio-endemic countries globally.