Ceasefire for polio immunisation in Afghanistan

Islamabad (Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan), 14 March 2001 -- Both the Taliban and the Northern Alliance have given their commitment to respect a cease-fire during 2001's first rounds of National Immunisation Days (NIDs) against poliomyelitis, which will be conducted from 15-17 March.
UNICEF and WHO requested both sides to respect weeks of tranquillity during these periods. It is extremely important that both sides inform their front line commanders to remain committed to the cease-fire during NIDs, and to help in mobilising communities through any possible means. The Taliban have said that they will respect a week of tranquillity during 13-19 March 2001, and the Northern Alliance have also agreed to respect this cease-fire.

In October and November last year, the cease-fire, additional social mobilisation activities and a "house-to-house" strategy contributed to a higher vaccination coverage than ever: over 5.7 million Afghan children were vaccinated.

Special efforts are being undertaken to ensure that internally displaced children in Afghanistan will be reached during the NIDs.

Additional efforts are also required to ensure that children who cross borders are also vaccinated. Therefore, NIDs have taken place in all Afghan districts that neighbour Pakistan, while NIDs in Pakistan were carried out earlier this year.

Considerable work remains to be done to eradicate polio from the world as a whole and to certify the world polio free by 2005. This final aim will lead to subsequent world-wide annual savings of US $ 1.5 billion (due to cessation of vaccine administration and averted health care costs), which could be used to prevent other diseases in the world.

For further information, please contact: Baba Danbappa, Health Officer UNICEF Afghanistan, tel. 2213437, 2212948-51, or Dr Naveed Sadozai, Medical Officer, WHO Afghanistan, tel. 2211224, 2211692.