KABUL: Afghanistan will launch a joint polio vaccination campaign on Saturday across all districts of eastern Kunar province and five districts of neighboring Nuristan province, the local media Tolo news reported on Friday.

The campaign will administer both the injectable polio vaccine (IPV) and the oral polio vaccine (OPV) to eligible children to boost immunity and curb the spread of the poliovirus, Tolo said.

Health officials called on parents to ensure that all eligible children receive both vaccines, stressing that immunization remains the most effective way to protect children from the debilitating disease.

Afghanistan is one of only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus remains endemic. The country’s health authorities, supported by international partners, have continued to conduct regular vaccination drives in an effort to eradicate the disease.