Polio eradication in Afghanistan

This project aims to support the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in their final push to eradicate the wild poliovirus (WPV) in Afghanistan one of only 2 remaining polio endemic countries (the other being Pakistan) by 2027. A significant number of Afghan children remain unvaccinated and this project aims to increase polio vaccine campaign activities for Afghan children under the age of 5. Project (WHO) activities include: (1) coordinating operations and conducting research analysis monitoring and evaluation; (2) providing technical and operational support for campaign administrators; (3) coordinating the training and deployment of human resources for supplementary technical assistance; and (4) securing logistics to access hard-to-reach areas. Project (UNICEF) activities include: (1) procuring the vaccines and cold chain equipment; (2) providing technical assistance for administrators responsible for the advocacy communication and social mobilization of the vaccination campaigns; and (3) monitoring the campaign and forecasting logistics. The 2 organizations coordinate to implement all aspects of the polio vaccination campaign.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved the quality of polio immunization activities for all boys and girls; (2) improved the capacity of polio frontline workers to access all hard-to-reach areas and communities including mobile and migrant populations; (3) interrupted the transmission of all wild poliovirus (WPV) and stopped the circulation of vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks; (4) reduced the number of zero dose and under-immunized children; and (5) enhanced and maintained polio monitoring and surveillance standards.