The Afghan caretaker government’s Ministry of Public Health announced a three-day vaccination campaign on Monday, aiming to protect 4.8 million children under the age of five from poliovirus.

Running from Monday to Wednesday, the campaign will provide anti-polio drops to children in 11 out of the country’s 34 provinces, said Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, spokesperson for the ministry.

In his message, Amarkhil urged tribal elders, religious scholars, and parents to actively participate and fully cooperate with polio workers to implement the campaign effectively, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier, on October 28, the Afghan caretaker government had launched a similar three-day vaccination campaign, targeting 6.2 million children in 16 provinces. Amarkhil emphasized that there were no confirmed cases of polio in Afghanistan in 2024, and the ministry was committed to eradicating the wild virus through these vaccination drives.

In June, Afghanistan had also carried out a nationwide anti-polio campaign, vaccinating over 11.2 million children under five years of age.

Polio is a virus that can cause paralysis but is preventable by vaccination. It is transmitted through contaminated food, water, or contact with an infected person. Although many people infected with the virus do not show symptoms, some may develop paralysis, which can sometimes be fatal.