Kabul, 17 December 2017 

UN humanitarian coordinator Toby Lanzer has released a statement in support of the December 2017 polio vaccination campaign and calling for protection to the health workers involved.

The Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan, together with WHO and UNICEF, will carry out a polio vaccination campaign in parts of Afghanistan between December 18-22. The campaign will target 5.5 million children under the age of five in high risk areas, mostly in the south, southeast, east and Kabul. 

The humanitarian coordinator stated his concern over the high number of polio cases in Kandahar, and called for support to the health workers. 

"The district of Shahwalikot in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province has the highest number of polio cases of any district in the world, putting at risk hundreds of thousands of children. In the past days, yet another case of wild poliovirus was found. A polio vaccination campaign throughout the district is now more urgent than ever."

"I call on the authorities and all people with influence, including the leaders of the communities in Shahwalikot, to ensure that this polio vaccination campaign takes place by helping health workers, facilitating their task and protecting them and their supplies so that all children are protected against polio."

The full statement can be read here.