Afghanistan is one of four countries still suffering from active transmission of the polio virus. Although polio cases have decreased since 2001, there were still 23 documented cases of this preventable disease as of October 2009. To halt disease transmission, the Afghan Government conducts eight regional polio vaccination campaigns each year for children under five.
With support from USAID, Afghanistan conducted an immunization campaign in the southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan from June 7-9. The campaign reached 2.9 million children. Those Afghan families unable to travel to health facilities to obtain vaccinations for their children benefit from the mobile approach of national immunization days, as it ensures that as many children as possible are protected against polio. As the official campaign slogan states, "Every child counts, every drop helps."