A nationwide polio vaccination campaign will begin in Afghanistan on Monday, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
"Vaccinate your #children against polio and protect their future!" the UN agency urged families in the war-torn country on Sunday via Twitter.
If this happens, this will be the first time in over three years that the vaccine can reach all children in Afghanistan, including more than 3.3 million children in some parts of the country who had previously remained inaccessible to vaccination after the Taliban refused to allow it.
Health officials say the drive aims to cover nearly 10 million children under the age of 5 against the virus that can cause paralysis and death.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are among only a few countries in the world where polio is still endemic.
The nationwide vaccination campaign was negotiated with the Taliban leaders by the WHO and UNICEF, but security concerns still exist as the polio vaccinators have been repeatedly attacked in the country.
The Taliban previously accused polio vaccinators of gathering intelligence on their militants, but they are now the de facto government of Afghanistan after toppling the internationally backed Kabul government in August.
Source: DPA
