The Afghan Taliban have suspended the door-to-door polio vaccination campaign in the country as confirmed by the United Nations (UN) which expressed deep concern over the decision, labelling it a devastating blow to the fight against polio.
The suspension of the campaign threatens to reverse the progress made in controlling the spread of this deadly disease. The United Nations has said that the spread of polio in Afghanistan has never been fully contained.
Afghanistan remains one of the two countries where the transmission of the potentially deadly and paralyzing disease, polio, has never been halted. The other country facing this challenge is Pakistan. The Taliban’s recent decision is expected to have significant repercussions for neighbouring countries and beyond.
The suspension of the polio vaccination campaign was communicated to U.N. agencies just before the scheduled start of the September immunization drive. No explanation was provided for the suspension, and there was no immediate comment from the Taliban-controlled government.
