The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNICEF, a UN agency for children and women, began on Monday a nationwide polio vaccination drive-- the first in the last three years--in Afghanistan, the country now under the complete control of the hardline Islamist group, the Taliban.  The campaign, which aimed to vaccinate close to three million children this year, started in various parts of the country today, Naikwali Shah Momim, the head of the polio eradication program at the Afghan health ministry, was quoted as saying by Reuters. He, however, added the drive will face a shortage of trained staff. 

This is the first time in the last twenty years that the campaign would be held across the country with full cooperation from the Taliban. The group seized complete control of the country on 15 August, toppling the US-backed Afghan government. The WHO, in a statement, said they were expecting to cover more areas--previously inaccessible-- this time. 

"The urgency with which the Taliban leadership wants the polio campaign to proceed demonstrates a joint commitment to maintain the health system and restart essential immunizations to avert further outbreaks of preventable diseases," said Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, in a statement.

Polio disease has been eradicated from all countries except two - Afghanistan and Pakistan. Both regions have long been witnessing instability, protracted conflict, and a brutal insurgency, which often limits the coverage of the vaccination drive. 

Polio workers and security forces guarding them often come under attack in the region. In Pakistan, many workers have been killed in its northwestern region, a stronghold of various militant groups. 

In Afghanistan, workers repeatedly came under attacks, especially in the eastern and northeastern region, a known stronghold of ISKP. Several polio workers have been killed by gunmen in eastern Afghanistan this year. 

A training program will also be conducted in Kabul to deploy trained staff in more remote parts of the country. A segment of previously trained staff has left the country following the Taliban takeover resulting in harsh living conditions. 

According to WHO figures compiled before the collapse of the Western-backed government in August, there was one reported case of the one wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Afghanistan in 2021, compared with 56 in 2020.

(SAM)