The “Polio-Free Afghanistan” organisation has announced the launch of a new polio vaccination campaign, set to begin on Monday, 27 January, across 16 provinces in Afghanistan.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Afghanistan recorded 25 cases of polio in 2024. However, the Taliban had previously claimed that no positive cases of the disease had been reported within the country.

In a statement released on Sunday, Polio-Free Afghanistan revealed that the campaign will be conducted in the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Zabul, Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Ghazni, Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Nuristan, Kabul, Baghlan, Herat, and Badghis.

The organisation, however, did not specify the duration of the campaign or the number of children expected to be vaccinated.

The WHO continues to stress the importance of vaccination campaigns in eradicating polio, particularly in regions like Afghanistan, where the disease remains a significant health concern.