Cease-Fire in Afghanistan: Polio immunisation at record levels

Islamabad (Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan), 5 May, 2000): "Achieving a cease-fire for National Immunisation Days against polio in Afghanistan was not easy, but it worked," said Dr. Mohammad Jama, Country Representative for the World Health Organisation for Afghanistan at today's press briefing at the Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator in Islamabad.
According to Louis-Georges Arsenault, Country Representative for UNICEF Afghanistan, more children will have been reached in the May 1 to May 3 anti-polio campaign than ever before. Almost 100% of the 4.5 million Afghan children under five received the vaccine. Compared to the campaign in 1999, when 4.1. million children in 325 districts of the country were reached, access was possible in all 330 districts of the country.

Both the Taleban authorities and the Northern Alliance respected the cease-fire. Arsenault attributed the success of the cease-fire to direct negotiations with both Taleban and Northern Alliance authorities. The authorities co-operated with local commanders. "This was the first time we managed to get through to both factions how important immunisation is," said Arsenault. "The efforts of local authorities in all areas, of governors, of mullahs, as well as extensive social mobilisation in the local languages, were critical to the success of the campaign." He added that special efforts were made to reach children of nomadic families and travellers.

The cease-fire extended from 1 to 5 May, which allowed vaccines to be dispatched and people to move as required. In some districts (Panjshir, and some districts of Kapisa and Parwan), the campaign will be extended until 6 May, if the cease-fire can be maintained for an extra day.

Because disease does not respect international borders, and due to population movements, Jama explained that immunisation in Afghanistan was co-ordinated with vaccination campaigns in neighbouring districts of both Iran and Pakistan.

Acknowledging the work of the media in raising awareness of the issue, Jama noted that the current polio campaign is only the second time in human history that the world at large is trying to achieve global disease eradication. The immunisation campaign aims to eradicate polio by the end of this year. The next rounds of immunisation in Afghanistan will take place from 3 to 5 June and in October/November 2000. Halting transmission of polio by the end of the year 2000 and certifying Afghanistan polio free by the year 2005 will be possible if a cease-fire is respected again during the next rounds of the immunisation campaign. An agreement for a cease-fire for the June campaign has already been worked out.