The sixth polio case is also reported from Nangarhar Province
Kabul, Afghanistan (27 September 2023): Unfortunately, one new WPV1 case from Khogyani district of Nangarhar province of east region is reported. This brings the total number of WPV1 cases to six in the country in 2023. The case is a 12 years old male child who had onset of paralysis on o4 September 2023.
In Khogyani district where the new polio case is recorded, the public health and hygiene measures have been found to be inadequate.
The poliovirus can survive for a significant period in unsanitary environments. When children play in such places, they become vulnerable to the virus and sometimes the infected children are permanently paralyzed or die due to this disease.
Dr. Nek Wali Momin The director of National EOC, expresses his concern over the new polio case and highlights that Afghanistan conducted 12 polio vaccination campaigns in 2022, marking the highest number of campaigns in the world and in 2023, three national, two sub-national and four case response campaigns are conducted in the country.
“Vaccination alone is not enough; in addition, efforts should be made to strengthen routine immunization. It is crucial to provide facilities for hygiene as many families have limited access to clean water, malnutrition is worsening day by day, measures must be taken to prevent malnutrition, as it is caused by various factors, including poverty and insufficient access to basic health services in remote areas,” He added.
The other five positive polio cases were also reported from Nangarhar province. The Polio Eradication Program is actively working to enhance surveillance in the eastern region of the country and aims to ensure comprehensive polio vaccine coverage for all children, leaving no gaps for the survival and transmission of the poliovirus. The goal is fully eradicated polio disease from Afghanistan.
Given the circumstances, it is being considered to implement targeted campaigns aimed at addressing polio cases in the affected areas. The national and sub-national campaigns will be implemented to prevent the further spread of the virus as soon as possible.
