Polio cases touch 20 in Afghanistan

As per the country's Ministry of Public Health statement: "Another new polio case has been reported from Shaheed-e-Hassas district of Urozgan province, a 3-year-old boy is now permanently paralyzed by the poliovirus."

"This is the second case from the same district, making the total number of polio cases in Afghanistan 20 this year," it said.

Fourteen cases have been reported in the South and six cases in the East. From south, nine cases in Kandahar, three cases in Helmand and two cases in Urozgan and from East, three cases in Kunar, two cases in Nangarhar and one case in Nuristan have been reported.

The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Ferozuddin Feroz, expressed his deep concern that Afghanistan now has the highest number of polio cases in the world:

“We now have more polio cases than the last two years. This is serious and we as parents, community members, and a nation have an obligation to protect our children," he said.

"This young boy has been needlessly paralyzed and his life forever changed before it has even started.  We must do better to protect our children.  We would like to stress that all parents and caregivers must repeatedly vaccinate their all children under five-every time vaccine is offered. Polio is serious and has lifelong consequences, but we have the power to eradicate it from our country and the world," he said.

Currently, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria are the only three remaining polio-endemic countries in the world.