Taliban allows Afghan polio team to enter southern provinces
The World Health Organization announced Sunday that medical teams have now been allowed to treat polio patients in areas such as Helmand and Kandahar provinces, Agence France Presse reported the same day.
These areas have seen some of the most severe violence of the Taliban insurgency.
Access to these areas has not been allowed for months, and this new development has been long-awaited by patients suffering from the crippling disease. Afghanistan is one of the few countries where polio still exists; there were 31 new cases reported last year.
The Afghan health workers, who are part of a WHO vaccination drive, successfully convinced Taliban leaders that their work was to benefit all children, non-Taliban and Taliban alike.
For the full article, click here.
These areas have seen some of the most severe violence of the Taliban insurgency.
Access to these areas has not been allowed for months, and this new development has been long-awaited by patients suffering from the crippling disease. Afghanistan is one of the few countries where polio still exists; there were 31 new cases reported last year.
The Afghan health workers, who are part of a WHO vaccination drive, successfully convinced Taliban leaders that their work was to benefit all children, non-Taliban and Taliban alike.
For the full article, click here.
Labels: Afghanistan, Helmand, Kandahar, polio, Taliban, World Health Organization
posted by Erin @ 9/24/2007 12:08:00 PM
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