Afghanistan on May 13 reported its first polio case this year after a 4-year-old child was diagnosed with the crippling disease. Kamal Shah, the head of the communications department of the UNICEF Polio Eradication Program in Afghanistan, told RFE/RL the case was recorded in the Bati-Kot district of the eastern province of Nangarhar. Two cases were recorded last year. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries in the world where wild polio is still endemic. The viral disease can only be prevented by vaccination. Islamic militants often target polio-vaccination teams, falsely claiming the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, click here.
Afghanistan Reports First Polio Case This Year
Editors' Picks
Afghanistan/Pakistan Trending
1
Why Does Trump Want Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base Returned To US Control?
2Trump Threatens Afghanistan If Bagram Base Not Handed Back To US
3Taliban's Internet Ban Threatens Afghan Women's Livelihoods And Education
4Afghan Woman Who Lost All Male Relatives In Earthquake Faces New Barriers
5Afghan Taliban Claims Prisoner Exchange With US Is Imminent
6Afghanistan In Massive Internet Shutdown Amid Taliban 'Morality' Crackdown
7Communications Restored In Afghanistan After 2-Day Blackout
8Trump Says US Is Seeking To 'Get Back' Bagram Base Amid Taliban Rule
9Afghan Children In Pakistan Fear Taliban Schools If Forced Home
10This Afghan Teen Is The Sole Survivor From His Family After Deadly Earthquake
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.