December 22, 2022, Kabul — Afghanistan vaccinated 5.36 million Afghan children aged 9 to 59 months against measles, while 6.1 million children aged 0 to 59 months received oral polio vaccine during a nationwide vaccination campaign held from November 26 to December 12, 2022.
Based on data from the Afghan Ministry of Health’s comprehensive immunization program, the campaign covered 329 districts in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. There were 4341 vaccination teams with 4 team members each.
“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 Dr Luo Dapeng, WHO representative in Afghanistan. “This is the first nationwide integrated measles and polio campaign in Afghanistan since the transition in August 2021 and I thank all the health professionals, partners and donors who made this possible.”
In 2022, many measles outbreaks were reported in Afghanistan. As of November 2022, Afghanistan has confirmed 5,484 measles cases, with approximately 300 deaths due to measles infection. Most cases of measles are in children under 5 years old.
Prior to the nationwide campaign, a series of sub-national measles immunization campaigns were conducted in 141 districts with approximately 3 million children.
Measles is a dangerous disease, with complications including severe diarrhea and dehydration, pneumonia, ear and eye complications, encephalitis or swelling of the brain, permanent disability and death. There is no specific treatment for measles. The only reliable protection against measles is vaccination.
“While measles is highly contagious, it is also a preventable disease. We cannot lose the decades of progress we have made in vaccinating and protecting Afghan children. The measles vaccine is safe and has been used for more than 50 years. The benefits of vaccination are clear as evidence shows that measles vaccination has saved more than 23 million lives worldwide over the past 20 years,” added Dr Dapeng.
The measles campaign in Afghanistan was supported by WHO and UNICEF in procurement and delivery of vaccines, developing immunization guidelines and communication materials, and building the capacity of health professionals to manage and implement the campaign and ensure that all eligible children are protected through safe and effective measles and polio vaccines. Funding for the campaign was provided by Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance.
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