Polio is a highly infectious, disabling, and potentially deadly disease contracted through the poliomyelitis virus in areas with poor sanitation(1). It spreads through contaminated food and water. There is no cure, and the disease mainly affects young children, so early immunization is the only defense.
Stopping the transmission of the wild polio virus requires that all children of Afghanistan be vaccinated. The oral Polio virus vaccine is effective, as it not only protects the children from contracting polio virus but also prevents them from carrying the virus in their intestines(2). CDC recommends that children get four doses of polio vaccine. They should get one dose at each of the following ages: 2 months old, 4 months old, 6 through 18 months old, and 4 through 6 years old.The World Health Organization (WHO) and United nations children fund (UNICEF) established the global polio eradication initiative launching several immunization campaigns focused on inoculating and informing the public about the risks of the polio virus(2).
Conflict, political instability, hard-to-reach populations, poor infrastructure, Taliban interference, lack of professional health staff, intimidation against volunteers and health care personnel, and nomadic populations create significant barriers in eradicating this disease(3).
Concluding, poor infrastructure and unsanitary conditions in this country largely contribute to the spread of the polio virus.
Stopping the transmission of the wild polio virus requires that all children of Afghanistan be vaccinated. The oral Polio virus vaccine is effective, as it not only protects the children from contracting polio virus but also prevents them from carrying the virus in their intestines(2). CDC recommends that children get four doses of polio vaccine. They should get one dose at each of the following ages: 2 months old, 4 months old, 6 through 18 months old, and 4 through 6 years old.The World Health Organization (WHO) and United nations children fund (UNICEF) established the global polio eradication initiative launching several immunization campaigns focused on inoculating and informing the public about the risks of the polio virus(2).
Conflict, political instability, hard-to-reach populations, poor infrastructure, Taliban interference, lack of professional health staff, intimidation against volunteers and health care personnel, and nomadic populations create significant barriers in eradicating this disease(3).
Concluding, poor infrastructure and unsanitary conditions in this country largely contribute to the spread of the polio virus.
References:
1. Ahmed. (2019, February 20). Polio spreads in Afghanistan and Pakistan 'due to unchecked borders'. Retrieved October 11, 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/feb/20/polio-spreads-in-afghanistan-and-pakistan-due-to-unchecked-borders
2. WHO. (2019, January). Pakistan and Afghanistan: The final wild polio virus bastion. Retrieved October 11, 2019, from https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/pakistan-and-afghanistan-the-final-wild-poliovirus-bastion(3)Ahmad, H., &
3. Akil, L. (2016, August). The recent outbreaks and reemergence of polio virus in war and conflict-affected areas. Retrieved October 11, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4975965/
4. Madhok, R. (2004, May 27). Immunization. Retrieved October 03, 2019, from https://www.unicef.org/immunization/index_newsline.htm