Launch of First National Polio Vaccination Campaign of the Current Year 2026 Joined by the Minister of Public Health

The first national polio (poliomyelitis) vaccination campaign for the year 2026 has been launched; which is being implemented nationwide from 13 to 16 April and will run for three days, during which approximately 12.6 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated. Due to cold weather conditions, the campaign has been postponed in Daikundi and Bamyan provinces, while in Ghor province it will be conducted in week later.

His Excellency Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health, who participated in the launch of the campaign, stated:
“The Ministry of Public Health, together with its partners, remains fully committed to preventing the spread of the wild poliovirus in Afghanistan. We will make every possible effort and continue polio vaccination campaigns and other essential health services until this disease is completely eradicated from the country.”

He further added:
“It is critically important that all influential members of society, including religious scholars, community elders, and parents, actively support polio vaccination teams across the country. We respectfully call on all citizens to take part in the fight against polio and to safeguard the lives and health of Afghanistan’s children.”

During the campaign, children aged 6 to 59 months will also receive Vitamin A supplements to help maintain eye health, improve skin condition, and strengthen their immune systems.