KABUL - Around 7.8 million children across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan will be targeted during a 3-day polio vaccination drive.

Officially launched in Kabul on Sunday, what makes this campaign unique is the introduction of a major de-worming initiative that will target 4.6 million children aged between 2-5 years. De-worming is used to cure worm infestation, which can lead to serious micronutrient deficiencies, anaemia and malnutrition and consequently hamper physical and mental development affecting overall cognitive performance.

Widely prevalent in developing countries, an estimated 300 million people with heavy worm infestation suffer from severe morbidity and approximately 150,000 deaths occur annually as a result, mostly amongst children.

"This is the first time ever that we are introducing deworming as part of the routine national polio campaign," stressed Her Excellency Dr Suraya Dalil, Acting Minister of Public Health.

The immunization campaign comes shortly after the country’s health authorities reported this year’s eighteenth polio case in the country’s south. Led by the Afghan Ministry of Public Health and supported by UNICEF and World Health Organization, this vaccination drive is part of ongoing large-scale efforts to eradicate polio in Afghanistan, which is one of only four countries in the world where polio remains endemic.

More than 22,402 vaccination teams with 52,251 health workers, including volunteers, will immunize children all over the country including those living in high-risk areas, urban locations, and informal settlements.

Children from nomadic populations are also being targeted. House-to-house visits will be conducted and immunization posts will be established at bus stops, mosques, marketplaces and border areas, to name a few. This mobile approach is essential to ensure that every child in the target age group is reached, as many families remain unable to access health facilities in rural parts of Afghanistan.

"The introduction of deworming into the routine nationwide polio campaign is a smart investment in the country's public health system," noted Peter Graaff, WHO Representative to Afghanistan. "This is because the polio network in Afghanistan is impressively broad, spanning across all administrative levels and various sectors, encompassing a wide variety of social actors. The deworming initiative will capitalize on these existing mechanisms, resources and momentum that the national polio program already enjoys."

UNICEF Representative to Afghanistan Peter Crowley urged families in all the provinces to look out for vaccination teams and make sure their children receive the vaccine. “Polio immunization is an essential way of safeguarding children’s health, and preventing this crippling disease,” he said. “The vaccine, which is used all over the world, is safe and easy to administer. It takes just a few seconds to immunize a child.”