Taliban Suspends Polio Vaccination Campaigns in Afghanistan, UN Reports on Monday

Sep 16, 2024, 11:28 AM

The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns across Afghanistan, according to a report from the United Nations on Monday. The decision was announced just days before a scheduled September immunization campaign, though no official reason was provided. Afghanistan remains one of the two countries where the spread of polio has never been halted, the other being Pakistan. The suspension poses a significant setback for global polio eradication efforts, as the virus is highly infectious and can cause paralysis or death. This move threatens to undo years of progress in combating the disease, the Associated Press reported.