A spokesman for the Taliban's Ministry of Health announced that no positive cases of polio have been reported in Afghanistan in 2024.

This comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics show that 22 cases of the disease have been recorded in Afghanistan as of September this year.

This contradiction has raised concerns about the Taliban's secrecy in providing real statistics on diseases.

Medical experts allege that the lack of accurate reporting of polio cases causes preventive measures and targeted vaccinations to not be carried out properly. This can lead to further spread of the disease and more children to develop paralysis.

According to these experts, secrecy and the dissemination of false information reduce public trust in the healthcare system. They say that people may lose trust in vaccination and health advice, which in turn will lead to bigger health problems.

About a month and a half after the Taliban's decision to suspend the polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan, the group's Ministry of Public Health announced the resumption of the campaign in several provinces.

Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, a spokesperson for the ministry, claimed that no positive cases of polio have been reported in Afghanistan this year.

However, statistics published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) this year show that 22 cases of polio have been recorded in Afghanistan from the beginning of the year to September.

According to the statistics, between August 22 and August 30, three cases of polio were reported in Kandahar and Helmand provinces.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the only other country besides Afghanistan which is fighting the eradication of polio, the number of cases has reached more than 40.