Afghanistan has vaccinated 5.36 million nine- to 59-month-old children against measles, while 6.1 million infants to 59-month-old children were orally vaccinated against polio during the Nov. 26-December 12 vaccination campaign.
Based on data from the Afghan Ministry of Health’s expanded immunization program, the campaign covered 329 districts in all 34 provinces of the country – with 4,341 immunization teams consisting of four members per team.
“It warms my heart that we have been able to protect Afghan children from measles and polio as we enter the harsh winter season in the country,” said Luo Dapeng, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Afghanistan.
“Thank you to all the health workers, partners and donors who made this possible.”
measles outbreaks
Measles is a dangerous disease with complications such as severe diarrhea and dehydration; pneumonia, ear and eye complications; encephalitis, or swelling of the brain; and death.
Many outbreaks have been reported in Afghanistan this year, mainly among children under the age of five.
There is no specific treatment for measles and the only reliable protection against measles is vaccination.
“Although measles is highly contagious, it is also a preventable disease,” reminded Dr. Dapeng. “We must not lose the decades of progress we have made in vaccinating and protecting Afghan children.”
Half a century of protection
As of November, 5,484 cases have been confirmed, with about 300 deaths attributed to measles infection.
Prior to the national effort, a series of subnational measles immunization campaigns were conducted in 141 districts, involving approximately three million children.
“The measles vaccine is safe and has been used for more than 50 years,” confirmed the senior WHO official.
“The benefits of vaccination are clear as evidence shows that measles vaccination has saved over 23 million lives worldwide over the last 20 years.”
About the campaign
WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supported the measles campaign in Afghanistan with the procurement and delivery of vaccines and the development of vaccination guidelines and communication materials.
UN agencies also helped build the capacity of health workers to manage and implement the campaign and ensure all eligible children are protected by safe and effective measles and polio vaccines.
Financial support came from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
