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Ministry urges vaccination as new polio case is confirmed in Helmand
Kabul, 2 July 2018 – A new polio case has been reported in Helmand province. A three-year-old child from Nad-e-Ali district, an area inaccessible to vaccination teams in May, has been affected and will be permanently paralyzed. During the last national vaccination campaign, vaccination bans were in place in Helmand, Urozgan and Kandahar,...
Increased numbers of returnees and refugees stretch health service provision in Afghanistan
This baby of a returnee family was born safely in the Torkham border in November 2017 with the assistance of skilled midwives. Photo by David Lai / WHO Afghanistan The recent wave of returnees and the large number of internally displaced people (IDPs) is posing a further challenge on already stretched health care facilities and health care...
WHO Afghanistan and health cluster partners scale up activities to assist people affected by drought
Mobile team provides health services to displaced people. Photo: David LaiKabul, 15 June 2018 – The lives of a million people are critically affected by drought in Afghanistan. Another 2 million people could be affected in the coming months. Food insecurity and reduced access to safe water are beginning to take their toll in the 10 worst...
Surgical hospital for war victims supported by WHO reports busiest month ever
Kabul, 5 June 2018 – The WHO-supported Kabul hospital, operated by the Italian nongovernmental organization EMERGENCY, has reported the busiest month in its operation's history. In May 2018, the hospital counted 421 admissions, of which 409 were war-related injuries. Programme Coordinator Dejan Panic stated that the organization was alarmed. “We have never had...
“The world’s eyes are on us” – expert group makes recommendations for polio eradication in Afghanistan
Dr Najibullah Mojadidi, Presidential Focal Point for Polio Eradication. Photo: Tuuli HongistoKabul, 4 June 2018 – The Technical Advisory Group for polio eradication (TAG) met 30–31 May to assess progress made towards eradicating polio in Afghanistan so far and to make recommendations for the way forward. In his opening remarks, Dr Najibullah...
A New Case of Polio Confirmed in Kandahar
Kabul, May 27, 2018 A new polio case has been confirmed this week in Shahwalikot district of Kandahar province, bringing the total number of confirmed polio cases in Afghanistan to 8 during 2018. The paralyzed child is a 14-month-old girl in an area where vaccination teams face challenges in accessing the area. The child has never been...
Ending polio in Afghanistan: big plan, small details
How do vaccinators ensure that every child is reached? Microplans guide the activities of polio vaccinators. Credit: Amarkhil/WHO Afghanistan Every child needs to be vaccinated to protect them from poliovirus. To achieve this, detailed plans are prepared for vaccination teams. The aim is to find each child under 5 years of age – in Afghanistan,...
Joint IAEA and WHO delegation assesses Afghan capacity for cancer control and care
Kabul, 10 May 2018 Delegation and WHO representative in Afghanistan Dr Richard Peeperkorn met HE Minister Feroz in Kabul. Photo: Tuuli HongistoWorld Health Organization (WHO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) conducted the first assessment of Afghanistan’s readiness to implement cancer...
Last nationwide vaccination campaign starts before the high transmission season for poliovirus
Kabul, 6 May 2018 – The ministries of Public Health and Education of Afghanistan today jointly inaugurated the second round of National Immunization Days (NIDS) for polio eradication in an event held in a Kabul madrasa (Islamic school). The event was attended by many Islamic religious scholars along with teachers and students. The nationwide polio...
WHO Representative in Afghanistan Dr. Rik Peeperkorn interviewed in UN special
Dr Rik Peeperkorn visiting Emergency hospital in Lashkargah Photo: Philippe Kropf / OCHA“The lack of peace, insecurity and high level of volatility is on everyone’s mind and the major challenge, not only for all Afghans, but also for WHO and anyone working for development. Access to large parts of the country is limited and a major obstruction...
