Afghanistan halts polio vaccinations amid concerns over women's role

On Monday, the AP news agency reported suspending the polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan. Official reasons were not provided, but the opposition claims it is about limiting women's participation in vaccination efforts.

The authorities in Afghanistan have suspended the polio vaccination campaign, AP reported on Monday, citing information from the United Nations. Although Kabul did not provide official reasons for the suspension, according to the opposition, it was about reducing the role of women in the campaign.

According to the fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law, the Taliban require that women be accompanied in public places by a mahram—a male family member acting as a guardian. Meanwhile, so far, vaccinations in Afghanistan have been conducted by traveling medical teams going from house to house. In an extremely conservative society that prevents free interactions between genders, it was easier for women to enter the private sphere with vaccinations. This area is reserved for women, children, and immediate family, where a strange man would not be admitted. Women from the medical teams played a crucial role in the previous campaigns.

As reported by the expatriate opposition portal "Kabul Now", in several provinces, including Herat and Kandahar, women have already been excluded from participating in the program. Instead of itinerant vaccination teams, the campaign in Kandahar is being conducted in mosques, without the involvement of women. There is concern that as a result, a significant portion of children will not be vaccinated, claims the portal, cited by the Polish Press Agency.

A senior official of the World Health Organization (WHO) told AP that he is aware of "political discussions about the form of the program" in some regions of Afghanistan. Partners are in the process of discussing the scope and understanding the impact of any changes, said Dr. Hamid Jafari from WHO.

Polio vaccination campaigns in this region of Asia are marked by violence, often involving attacks and murders of medical personnel or the police officers protecting them. Vaccination opponents claim that the programs are a Western conspiracy aimed at sterilizing children, AP recalled.

Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan are the only countries in the world where polio, a disease that can lead to paralysis and death, still occurs endemically. WHO confirmed 18 cases of polio in Afghanistan this year. Last year, six cases were reported.