Health
EU contributes 10 million euros to improve mental health, drug use disorder services in Afghanistan
The European Union has released an additional 10 million euros (an equivalent of 800 million Afghanis) to improve mental health and addressing drug use disorders in Afghanistan.
This additional EU funding will ensure that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will provide wider access to mental health and drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation services for vulnerable populations in Afghanistan, including to women and girls, EU said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The EU feels very strongly about improving the health and well-being of the people in Afghanistan”, affirmed Raffaella Iodice, EU Chargée d’Affaires a.i. to Afghanistan. “It is important that those persons who struggle with mental health and drug use disorder have access to comprehensive health services and that they are helped to re-integrate into society. That is why the EU has decided to increase our funding to our partners WHO and UNODC. With this additional funding more people in need will be reached.”
“The EU’s support is essential in facilitating access to mental health and drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation services for vulnerable populations in Afghanistan,” emphasized Dr Luo Dapeng, WHO Representative in Afghanistan. “This additional €10 million funding will significantly enhance our endeavors to tackle the existing mental health and drug use disorder challenges among these populations, thereby enabling us to deliver the requisite care and support they rightfully deserve.”
EU said Afghanistan sees nearly 4 million drug user which equals close to 10 per cent of the population, and the worsening crisis has left most of the country’s drug treatment and rehabilitation centers struggling to cope and drug users without access to treatment.
“The additional funding is crucial in addressing drug use and its related disorders in Afghanistan by increasing access to integrated, evidence-based and human rights-oriented drug treatment and rehabilitation services”, said Anubha Sood, UNODC Representative in Afghanistan.
Health
Nationwide polio vaccination campaign kicks off across Afghanistan
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.
Health
Azerbaijan urged to help improve capacity of Afghan health workers
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.
Health
Balkh health officials report sharp increase in number of cancer patients
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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