Polio vaccination for Afghan children to begin on November 8

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have welcomed the Taliban's decision to allow all Afghan children to be vaccinated against polio. The campaign will begin on November 8. It will be the first time in three years that the vaccination will cover entire Afghanistan, including 3.3 million kids who were previously deprived of the vaccines, reported news agency ANI citing Khaama Press. Emphasising the significance of this step, the WHO official in Afghanistan, Dapeng Luo, expressed his gratitude to the Taliban administration. 

Luo said it's good to know that another campaign is planned before the end of the year, pointing out that repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine provide the most protection. He further emphasised that continued access to all children is vital in an attempt to eradicate polio permanently. Meanwhile, according to Khaama Press, UNICEF in Afghanistan is laying out plans with its partners to eradicate polio in the war-torn nation completely. Vaccines will be administered to children aged between 6 to 59 months as part of the programme. The WHO advised local authorities to maintain the impartiality of the health system by ensuring that every child in their neighbourhood is vaccinated, reported Khaama Press. 

Taliban to reopen schools for girls soon: Report

Meanwhile, the Taliban also announced that girls will be permitted to return to secondary schools soon. This comes amid widespread criticism of human rights violations in Afghanistan. On Sunday, October 17,  a spokesperson for Afghanistan's interior ministry stated that further details into this will be revealed later by the Ministry of Education, reported Al Jazeera. "According to my understanding and information, all universities and schools will reopen very soon, and all the girls and women will return to school and their teaching duties,"  spokesperson Saeed Khosty was quoted as saying by the outlet. Notably, Afghanistan's Ministry of Education, administered by the Taliban, reopened all secondary schools for male students in September. 

As the schools for girls have been closed in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August, girls and teachers have urged the interim government in the country to reopen schools for them. According to a report by TOLO News, only three provinces in Afghanistan have reopened schools for girls. These provinces are Sar-i-Pul, Balkh and Kunduz. Earlier this month, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the Taliban has betrayed all pledges made to Afghan women and girls. The UN chief also urged the Taliban interim government to stick to its obligations under international human rights legislation. Since the Taliban's takeover, Afghan businesswomen have lost their jobs, and they are mostly confined to their homes due to the group's strict interpretation of Sharia law, reported TOLO News. 

Image: ANI/Representative