Polio in Afghanistan: the current situation amid COVID-19
AUTHOR(S)
Attaullah Ahmadi; Mohammad Yasir Essar; Xu Lin (et al.)
Published: August 2020
Journal: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Polio is a deadly viral disease that has been paralyzing many children in Afghanistan. Despite fundamental efforts, primarily vaccination, to reduce the number of cases in Afghanistan, there are still many children who are deprived of the vaccine every year. Afghanistan is one of the two remaining countries endemic for polio, and the country has undergone various challenges that have hampered the eradication of this disease. The underlying challenges include inaccessibility of unsecured areas, illiteracy, refusal, and, most recently, COVID-19. The country is in the midst of a battle against COVID-19, and polio has almost entirely been neglected.
Attaullah Ahmadi; Mohammad Yasir Essar; Xu Lin (et al.) August 2020 Polio in Afghanistan: the current situation amid COVID-19 . The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, pp. 3.