WHO and UNICEF Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign in Afghanistan Using PharmaJet’s Needle-Free Tropis® ID System
GOLDEN, Colo. (FNN) – PharmaJet®, a company focused on advancing injectable delivery systems through its needle-free technology, announced that the WHO-prequalified Tropis® ID delivery system will be used in a major polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan.
Starting in August 2025, the campaign will be led by the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) Afghanistan in partnership with UNICEF, WHO, and Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners. It will focus on the Eastern region of Afghanistan, where 1.3 million fractional doses of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) will be administered to children ages five and under, alongside the oral polio vaccine (OPV). This combined strategy is designed to strengthen both humoral and mucosal immunity.
Persistent Polio Threat in Afghanistan
Despite global progress, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the last strongholds of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). In 2024, WPV1 transmission in Afghanistan rose significantly, underscoring the urgent need for stronger vaccination measures. The site-to-site immunization strategy enabled by Tropis® ID allows vaccines to be administered in multiple convenient locations, boosting coverage in high-risk communities.
WHO’s Strategic Reset for Eradication
The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on polio eradication endorsed Afghanistan’s “Strategic Reset” to optimize vaccination efforts. The plan emphasizes improved leadership, greater community acceptance, and broader government engagement. Incorporating Tropis® ID technology supports goals to eliminate persistent virus lineages in the East, prevent new WPV1 cases in the East and South, and stop local transmission across Afghanistan.
PharmaJet’s Global Impact
“We are pleased to be partnering with UNICEF, WHO, and NEOC Afghanistan in their continued efforts to eradicate polio,” said Paul LaBarre, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at PharmaJet. “We aim to achieve high impact in the fight against poliovirus, including increased coverage, decreased costs, and strong community acceptance, as we have previously seen in Pakistan, Somalia, and Nigeria.”