Six New Wild Poliovirus Cases Confirmed in Eastern Afghanistan

Dragon Media News Desk

Health authorities in eastern Afghanistan have confirmed six new cases of wild poliovirus over the past month, highlighting the persistent challenges facing one of the world’s last two countries where transmission of the virus remains endemic.

The cases were detected in Bati Kot, Behsud, Rodat and Chaparhar districts, as well as in Jalalabad city in Nangarhar Province. An additional case was reported in neighboring Kunar Province.

Mawlawi Aminullah Sharif, head of the Nangarhar provincial public health department, said on Sunday that the recent increase in infections was primarily linked to the large-scale return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.

In response, local health authorities have intensified polio vaccination campaigns across the affected provinces in coordination with international partners.

Health officials are focusing on expanding vaccination coverage, strengthening disease surveillance and deploying vaccination teams to high-risk areas.

Afghanistan continues to face major obstacles in its polio eradication campaign, including population movements, difficult terrain, limited access to health services in some areas and operational challenges affecting vaccination drives.

Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries in the world where transmission of wild poliovirus continues.

The latest cases have renewed concerns over cross-border transmission and underscored the importance of sustained, coordinated vaccination efforts in communities along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier.