UN helps vaccinate millions of Afghan children against measles
and polioListen / Nearly six million children in Afghanistan are
now protected against measles, thanks to a recent vaccination
campaign supported by the United Nations. The youngsters, aged
between nine months to 10 years old, also received anti-polio
drops. Afghanistan has committed to stamping out measles by
2015. Charles Appel reports. Afghanistan's Ministry of Public
Health implemented the campaign earlier this month with help
from partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO).
Approximately 27,000 health workers, volunteers and community
mobilizers across 16 provinces took part in the two-week
exercise, reaching children in places such as mosques, schools
and parks. This marked the first stage of the campaign, which
continues in September with plans to include the remaining 18
provinces in the country. WHO reports that funding is a concern
and the agency is seeking money to cover the next phase.
Afghanistan held its first anti-measles