WHO, UNICEF to launch polio vaccine drive in Afghanistan

• Afghanistan reported only one case of wild poliovirus last year and the vaccine drive also presents an opportunity to totally eradicate the illness from the country.

State of play: "WHO and UNICEF welcome the decision by the Taliban leadership supporting the resumption of house-to-house polio vaccination across Afghanistan," UNICEF said in a statement.

• The campaign will also reach more than 3.3 million children in parts of Afghanistan that have previously been inaccessible to vaccination campaigns, according to UNICEF.
• Babies aged 6 months to 59 months will also receive supplementary doses of vitamin A, per the WHO.
• The Taliban has also authorized a second polio vaccination campaign, to take place in conjunction with Pakistan's national immunization drive in December.

The big picture: In the wake of the U.S. withdrawal and Taliban takeover, Afghanistan is on the precipice of a humanitarian crisis.