A child in Kaldar District of Balkh Province receives a measles vaccine. Photo credit: WHO Afghanistan8 October 2025, Kabul, Afghanistan – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the National Expanded Programme on Immunization (NEPI) in Afghanistan, has successfully concluded the first phase of a nationwide measles vaccination campaign. With support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, approximately 8.9 million children aged 6 months to 10 years were reached across 17 cold climate provinces. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases and a leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths among children. In Afghanistan, where access to routine immunization is limited and many children face challenges like malnutrition, measles can lead to serious health complications, including pneumonia, blindness and even death. In 2024, over 9300 measles cases were reported. By August 2025, another 8500 cases had been reported. The...