Japan Allocates $6.3 Million to UNICEF for Polio Fight in Afghanistan
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced that the government of Japan has allocated $6.3 million to support polio eradication efforts in Afghanistan. The funding will support a 12-month program aiming to vaccinate 12 million children under five years old against polio across 23 provinces.
UNICEF reported that these efforts have shown progress, with polio cases dropping from 25 in 2024 to 10 by December 2025. However, the agency emphasized that the risk of polio transmission among children remains, particularly with the return of millions of migrants, many of whom are children susceptible to diseases including polio, measles and whooping cough.
Japanese Ambassador Kenichi Masamoto stated: "The government and people of Japan remain committed to supporting the eradication of polio in Afghanistan. Based on more than two decades of cooperation with UNICEF, Japan is proud to continue providing sustainable vaccines to save children's lives."
According to a World Health Organization report, two positive polio cases were recorded in 2025 in Badghis and Helmand provinces. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries where polio has not been fully eradicated.
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