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SOCIETY — April 12, 2026

Afghanistan Launches First Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign of 2026

Afghanistan has begun its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026, targeting 12.6 million children under five with UNICEF support and vitamin A distribution. The campaign faces delays in some provinces and operates under Taliban restrictions limiting vaccinations to mosques and health centers amid a decline in cases.

The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Amu TV — corroborated by Pajhwok — 2 min read

Afghanistan Launches First Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign of 2026
Image courtesy Amu TV

KABUL — Afghanistan has launched its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026, targeting 12.6 million children under the age of five over three days.

The effort, supported by UNICEF and other international partners, will also distribute vitamin A supplements to children aged 6 to 59 months, according to the Taliban Ministry of Public Health.

The campaign has been postponed in Daikundi and Bamyan provinces due to cold weather and delayed by one week in Ghor province, the ministry said.

Noor Jalal Jalali, Taliban minister of public health, emphasized the goal of preventing the spread of polio and ultimately eradicating the disease.

The World Health Organization reported a 64 percent decrease in polio cases nationwide, from 25 in 2024 to nine in 2025. The cases occurred in Badghis (one), Nimroz (one), Helmand (two), Uruzgan (one), Paktika (two), Paktia (one) and Kunar (one).

The Taliban banned house-to-house polio vaccination campaigns and women's participation since September last year, restricting the effort to mosques and health centers.

Read the original reporting at Amu TV →

Reliability assessment

Two outlets (Amu TV, Pajhwok) corroborate the launch of Afghanistan's first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026, with direct attribution to the Taliban Ministry of Public Health, including specific details on targets, partners, and provincial delays.

The source language reads straight.

Independent web corroboration

A separate web search returned 8 matching reports. A selection:

Across the newsrooms

Where reports agree

  • Nationwide polio vaccination campaign launched in 2026 targeting 12.6M children under 5.
  • Campaign supported by UNICEF, WHO, and Taliban Ministry of Public Health.
  • Includes Vitamin A distribution.
  • Specific postponements in Daikundi, Bamyan, Ghur.
  • Polio case stats from WHO for 2024-2025.
  • Taliban policy change on vaccination methods.

Filed by 2 outlets

Filed under

Society — polio vaccination, UNICEF, Taliban Ministry of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, WHO

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