Cease-fire commitment for polio immunisation in Afghanistan renewed

Islamabad (Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan), 2 June 2000 -- In Kabul, the Taleban have renewed their verbal commitment to observe a cease-fire during the second round of National Immunisation Days (NIDs) scheduled from 3-5 June. In April, the Northern Alliance gave a verbal agreement to UNICEF and WHO that they would keep their commitment to observe a cease-fire during the first and second rounds.

During the first round in May, the cease-fire and the door-to-door campaign in the big cities contributed to the success of the polio immunisation. For the first time, all eleven districts of Takhar province were covered simultaneously with the rest of the country.

Preliminary data indicate that almost 100 per cent of the 4.5 million targeted Afghan children were reached during the first countrywide round of NIDs in May. Although all districts were reached during the first round, a number of children, particularly nomadic children in the south, were left out because they were on the move due to the drought affecting the area. Vaccinator teams were later sent out, and succeeded in reaching them.

As many as 13,000 volunteers, vaccinators and medical professionals are involved in carrying out the national immunisation campaign. Polio vaccine and Vitamin A capsules have already been pre-positioned in all parts of the country.

A series of annual polio campaigns has been successfully implemented in Afghanistan since 1994 with the collaboration of many partners and stake holders, notably the Ministry of Public Health, UNICEF, WHO, other UN agencies, international and national NGOs, donors, community leaders and civil society.

Afghanistan is one of the 30 countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic. The polio immunisation campaigns are part of the ongoing global initiative to interrupt transmission of poliovirus by the end of the year 2000 and certify Afghanistan as a polio-free country by 2005.

For more information contact:
Louis-Georges Arsenault, UNICEF Afghanistan, 212948-51 (Islamabad)
arsenault@unicef.org

or

Dr Mohammed Abdi Jama, WHO Afghanistan,252272/251645 (Islamabad)
JamaM@whoafg.org