A four-day nationwide polio vaccination campaign began across Afghanistan on Monday, September 21, with health officials saying the drive aims to reach about 12.77 million children under the age of five.
Ariana News reported the start of the campaign and the target figure, citing officials. The vaccination drive is intended to strengthen children’s protection against poliovirus and reduce the risk of continued transmission.
Afghanistan remains one of the countries where wild poliovirus transmission has not been fully interrupted, making repeated vaccination rounds and routine immunisation particularly important. UNICEF describes Afghanistan as one of the last countries where polio continues to circulate and works with the wider Global Polio Eradication Initiative on vaccine supply and community outreach.
The 12.77 million target is the announced campaign goal rather than a final count of children vaccinated. Completion and coverage figures will only be known after the campaign ends. Margalla News will update this story if health authorities or international partners publish verified results.