Publication of "Progress in access and oral polio vaccine coverage among children under five years old in polio campaigns after the political change in Afghanistan" in the Journal of Infectious Diseases  

Our article, "Progress in access and oral polio vaccine coverage among children under five years old in polio campaigns after the political change in Afghanistan" has been accepted and published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases (JID). 

In the article, the authors (led by Liaison’s Senior Advisor Dr. Wrishmeen Sabawoon) analyzed country-specific data on polio surveillance systems, National Immunization Days (NIDs), and nationwide polio campaigns in Afghanistan. The article compared the number of Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) and circulating Vaccine Derived Poliovirus Type-2 cases (cVDPV2); polio surveillance performance indicators; the number of inaccessible and vaccinated children by round and the polio campaign implementation approach before and after the political change. The results illustrate significant progress in the polio eradication of the country after the political change. 

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by polioviruses. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) launched in 1988 is one of the largest public health interventions and has made significant progress, reducing the number of wild poliovirus (WPV) cases from 350,000 in 1988 in more than 125 countries to 12 cases in 2023 (Afghanistan (6), Pakistan (6)). To eradicate polio globally, the main challenge has long been Afghanistan, one of the two remaining endemic countries and the most difficult locations to achieve eradication due to long-lasting warfare, both inter-factional and international. In the media, it is widely reported that the recent 2021 political change is associated with economic deprivation, humanitarian crises, and disruption of services including healthcare. 

Further progress depends on the international community working with the Taliban regime to realize house-to-house polio campaigns in the entire country and the allocation of more resources to strengthen the health system of the country. A relatively strong health system is necessary for maintaining polio-free status; a weak health system jeopardizes the gains in polio eradication in its last stages. 

The full article can be accessed here: Click here