A health worker gives a dose of polio vaccine to a child during a polio vaccination campaign in Kabul, Afghanistan, Feb. 2, 2026. Afghanistan launched its first polio vaccination campaign of 2026 on Monday, aiming to protect over 7.3 million children under 5 years old against poliovirus, the Ministry of Public Health reported. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan launched its first polio vaccination campaign of 2026 on Monday, aiming to protect over 7.3 million children under 5 years old against poliovirus, the Ministry of Public Health reported.

The four-day campaign, scheduled from Monday through Thursday, will administer polio vaccine drops to children in 18 of the country's 34 provinces, according to ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil.

In a public statement, Amarkhil called on tribal elders, religious scholars, and parents to fully cooperate with health workers to ensure the campaign's success.

No polio cases have been recorded so far in 2026. However, at least nine cases were confirmed in Afghanistan in 2025, despite ongoing government efforts to eliminate the paralyzing disease in the post-conflict nation.

Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan remain among the few countries worldwide where wild poliovirus transmission has yet to be eradicated. ■

A health worker gives a dose of polio vaccine to a child during a polio vaccination campaign in Kabul, Afghanistan, Feb. 2, 2026. Afghanistan launched its first polio vaccination campaign of 2026 on Monday, aiming to protect over 7.3 million children under 5 years old against poliovirus, the Ministry of Public Health reported. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)