Health
13 million children in need of humanitarian aid, over 5 million close to famine
Save the Children said Monday, in its latest report on Afghanistan, that 24.4 million people, including 13 million children, need humanitarian assistance and that over five million children are close to famine.
In its April report, the organization said 19.7 million people, including 9.6 million children, are facing critical levels of hunger; “5.3 million children are one step away from famine” and 1.1 million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished.
According to the report, 5.8 million internally displaced people and returnees remain in some form of displacement and close to 700,0000 people were internally displaced in 2021.
In addition to this, Save the Children said eight million children need support to access education in Afghanistan and 10 million children are at risk of dropping out of school if teacher salaries are not paid and crippling poverty levels continue.
The report also noted that 4.5 million children are in need of mental health and psychosocial support.
The organization stated that armed clashes continue in Baghlan, Takhar and Panjshir provinces, where Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) “authorities are being attacked”.
“Increased number of explosions in Kabul city killed and injured a number of civilians, including children. In addition, airstrikes by Pakistani Air Forces killed 41 civilians including six children in Khost and Kunar provinces” last month, the report stated.
Save the Children said the economic crisis continues to impact the finances of families and in a survey carried out by the organization, it was found the majority of the families reported loss of some or all of their income and are unable to afford the rising cost of food.
“93% of people in Afghanistan face insufficient food consumption due to the economic decline. 4.5million children and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition in 2022,” the report stated.
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) meanwhile confirmed nearly 55,400 measles cases and more than 290 related deaths since the beginning of 2021, including more than 3,300 new cases and 21 related deaths confirmed between March 20 and 26-2022.
Of the total cases, approximately 80 percent have been children ages five years and younger, Save the Children organization said.
In conclusion, the report noted that the ban on secondary school girls attending classes, and the non-payment of teacher salaries has led to growing rates of teacher, and subsequently student, absenteeism and drop-out.
“Shortages of qualified female teachers serve as a barrier to girls’ access to education,” the report stated.
Afghanistan launched a polio vaccination campaign on Monday aimed at protecting around 10.72 million children under the age of 5, the Health Ministry announced.
The four-day campaign will cover 31 of the country’s 34 provinces.
Vaccinations in Ghor, Daikundi and Bamiyan provinces will be implemented later due to recent rains and cold weather, the ministry said in a statement.
“Together with our partners, we are committed to eradicating polio from Afghanistan,” said Dr Qalandar Ebad, the acting minister of public health.
“We will work tirelessly and continue polio vaccination campaigns and complementary health services until we reach the goal of fully eradicating polio.”
The ministry urged religious scholars and local elders to cooperate with vaccine providers to fight polio, a debilitating disease that can lead to paralysis and death.
In December, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the repatriation of migrants from neighboring Pakistan has increased the risk of spreading the virus. Since then, Afghanistan has conducted at least three rounds of nationwide vaccinations.
Vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan often face challenges due to conspiracy theories that polio vaccines cause infertility or that vaccinators are spies.
Acting Minister of Public Health Qalandar Ebad, in a meeting with Azerbaijan’s ambassador, Ilham Mohammadov, called for the country’s assistance in improving the capacity of Afghanistan’s health workers.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in the health sector, capacity building of Afghan health workers, and Azerbaijan’s role in the health sector and other issues, according to a statement released by the Public Health Ministry.
Azerbaijan’s envoy said that his country seeks to cooperate with Afghanistan in a sustainable manner in the field of health.
In other news, the foundation stone for the construction of oxygen production facility was laid at the Indira Gandhi children hospital in Kabul.
Officials of the Ministry of Public Health said that the facility will be built with the financial and technical assistance of the World Health Organization, and with the capacity to produce 200 cylinders of oxygen daily to meet not only the needs of the hospital, but also other health facilities.
Balkh Public Health Department officials say there has been a significant increase in the number of patients with cancer in the province.
“In 1401, about 2,613 OPD (out patient department) cases were registered with us. In 1402, these figures were 4,912 cases,” said Ehsanullah Kaliwal, the head of the oncology department at Balkh Regional Hospital.
Some doctors say genetic factors, environmental pollution, arbitrary use of medicines, and excessive consumption of meat were reasons for the sharp increase.
One doctor said cancer was also hereditry.
However, a large percentage of cancer patients in Balkh have stomach cancer. Many of them have appealed for the government to improve treatment facilities.
According to health officials, in the first month of this solar year (April), 423 cancer patients visited this hospital for treatment.
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