KABUL, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's Public Health Ministry launched a five-day campaign on Monday to give immunity vaccination dose to 3 million children under the age of five in 10 of the country's 34 provinces, the ministry said in a statement.

The drive was launched as a fresh polio case was detected in southern Helmand province earlier this month, bringing to 21 the number of confirmed cases of polio infection since January this year, according to the statement.

"Polio is a crippling and a potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure and the polio vaccine is the only safe and effective way to protect children," the statement said.

The ongoing insurgency and conflicts have been hindering the efforts to stamp out the infectious disease in the mountainous country.