The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has written on its X account that a number of children in Afghanistan are still deprived of receiving their first dose of vaccination.
The organization added that, together with its partners, it is working to deliver life-saving vaccination services to more children across the country.
UNICEF stated on its X page: “Zero-dose children have never received a single vaccine. In Afghanistan, too many children still miss out on their first dose. We are reaching more children with lifesaving immunization services across Afghanistan..”
Zahir Mohammad Lalzoi, a health worker, said: “Vaccination is very important in children’s lives. For example, if a child receives the measles vaccine, they gain protection against the disease and are less likely to contract it.”
Although the Ministry of Public Health launches ten rounds of polio vaccination campaigns and several other vaccination campaigns, including measles vaccination, across the country each year, challenges to achieving full vaccination coverage remain.
On March 11 of last year, the Minister of Public Health also identified the lack of cooperation from some religious leaders and families as one of the reasons children remain unvaccinated.
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, had said: “There have been cases where vaccination teams were not allowed by local authorities to establish stations or vaccination sites. There are also instances where families, for various reasons, do not bring their children for vaccination. In some areas, vaccination teams have been limited only to certain schools and madrassas. Some religious leaders oppose vaccination, and at times village elders also do not cooperate with vaccination teams.”
Meanwhile, doctors emphasize the need to expand public awareness about the importance and benefits of vaccines for families, especially in areas that previously had limited access to healthcare services, so that no child is deprived of receiving their first vaccine dose.
Shinwa Khawari, a health worker, told TOLOnews: “In addition to protecting children from diseases, vaccines strengthen their immune systems. Given the significant benefits of vaccination, families—especially mothers and fathers—should cooperate with vaccinators to ensure their children are vaccinated.”
While the world is moving toward the eradication of preventable diseases, the concept of a “zero-dose child” in Afghanistan still highlights the gap between access and deprivation—a gap whose closure remains one of the most serious challenges facing the country’s healthcare system.
