The Ministry of Public Health announced today (Saturday) the launch of a polio vaccination campaign in the provinces of Zabul, Uruzgan, Kandahar, Herat, and Helmand.

Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, told TOLOnews that over two million children under the age of five in these five provinces will receive the vaccine during this four-day campaign.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health added regarding this campaign: "A four-day polio vaccination campaign has been launched in five provinces of the country, including Uruzgan, Zabul, Kandahar, Helmand, and Herat, where close to 2.4 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated."

Meanwhile, a number of doctors consider public awareness, in addition to holding polio vaccination campaigns, to be beneficial for the better implementation of the polio vaccine in the country.

Faridullah Omari, a doctor in Kabul, said: "We must inform the public about the transmission of polio and that infectious diseases can be prevented not only through vaccines but also through daily practices. They should know what actions to take and what to avoid."

Meanwhile, some residents of the capital have welcomed the initiation of such campaigns and urged families to vaccinate their children without delay.

Ziauddin, a resident of Kabul, said: "My request to all citizens of Afghanistan is to vaccinate children under the age of five."

According to officials at the Ministry of Public Health, five polio vaccination campaigns have been conducted in the country since the beginning of 2024.