A massive polio vaccination campaign was launched across 16 provinces of Afghanistan on Monday, according to the Afghan Ministry of Public Health.

Ministry Spokesman Sharafat Zaman Amarkhel said that the vaccination drive will be four days long and will attempt to reach 6.3 million children under the age of 5.

The vaccination campaign will not be carried out door-to-door as in the past. Instead, people have been told to bring their children to their local mosques for vaccination.

Amarkhel called upon elders to ensure that people vaccinate children within their communities.

The campaign kicks off after the year’s first polio case was confirmed in the Western province of Badghis.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio is still endemic. Although the crippling disease has no cure, it is preventable through vaccination, typically administered through oral drops.

Afghanistan reported 25 cases of polio in 2024, while Pakistan reported 74 cases. Vaccination efforts in both countries have been hampered by religious propaganda as well as security threats to polio teams.