UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, reports that cases of polio in Afghanistan have significantly increased in 2024.
In a published report, the organization stated that by mid-October of this year, 22 cases of polio had been recorded nationwide, indicating a notable rise compared to previous years.
The report further explains that this increase is primarily due to poor sanitation conditions and insufficient access to safe drinking water, particularly in rural areas.
UNICEF emphasized that it launched a project in early 2024 in regions of eastern Afghanistan where water samples tested positive for the polio virus in 2023.
The aim of this project is to improve sanitation, enhance hygiene, and mobilize communities to combat the spread of the polio virus.
Additionally, the report notes that as a result of this initiative, there have been significant changes in the number of water samples testing positive for the polio virus; while in 2023, positive water samples more than doubled, this number has drastically decreased since the project’s implementation in 2024.
UNICEF stated that although the overall polio statistics in Afghanistan continue to rise, none of the 22 confirmed cases in 2024 are from areas where UNICEF’s pilot project has been implemented.
The report suggests that if this initiative is expanded to other regions of Afghanistan, it could provide hope for reducing polio cases nationwide.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has reported 22 positive polio cases in Afghanistan this year.
According to existing reports, only 12 positive polio cases have been recorded in Kandahar this year.
Polio cases have also been documented in Urozgan and Helmand in the south, as well as in Kunar and Nuristan provinces in the east of the country.
Last year, six positive cases of childhood paralysis were recorded in Afghanistan, all in Nangarhar province.
It should be noted that currently, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries in the world where polio has not been eradicated.
So far this year, there have been reports of 28 positive polio cases in Pakistan, with a significant portion occurring in the border provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
