Since the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Afghanistan, the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) Programme has been supporting the government’s efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. With the help of these PEI volunteers, over 48,000 cases of COVID-19 have been detected, of which more than 8,000 have been confirmed.
Female polio programme frontline workers continue to support outbreak response. Often, they put concerns for their health to one side as they work in areas with many COVID-19 cases. They do this while also tending to their usual duties to educate women on polio and reinforce the importance of vaccinations. They value the job even though it puts their own health at risk and often conflicts with gender expectations.
Since March 2020, nearly 36 000 members of the Polio Surveillance Network, almost 48 000 polio frontline workers, almost 99 000 health providers and about 5000 government and NGO staff have been trained on COVID-19 surveillance. Nearly 186 000 community and religious influencers have been trained to deliver outreach messages, and almost 7000 coordination meetings have been held.
Nearly 10 000 COVID-19 and polio surveillance visits have been made to health facilities, and more than 2500 medical facilities have been surveyed for COVID-19 preparedness. Thanks to the efforts of the polio team, over 48 000 cases of COVID-19 have been detected, of which more than 8000 have been confirmed.
WHO thanks all donors and partners who have contributed to fund the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to combat COVID-19. A special appreciation goes to Member States and other contributors who provided flexible funds, making it possible for WHO to deliver a coherent, strategic and broad response.
Visit the WHO/EMRO webpage to read the personal story of Nasrin Ahmadi, who started as a volunteer back in 2010 and is now a district polio officer