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COVID-19 cases increase in Afghanistan: officials

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(Last Updated On: January 31, 2022)

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said on Sunday that COVID-19 infections have increased across Afghanistan.

According to the MoPH, 429 COVID-19 cases were reported in the past 24 hours in the country.

MoPH officials raised concerns and said that the Afghan health sector is not able to detect the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

“Positive cases of COVID-19 surged recently. Symptoms of the cases [show] they are likely the new variant; we don’t know [whether it is Omicron or not], because we don’t have [test] kits. Compatriots should be careful,” said Dr Javed Hazher, spokesman for the MoPH.

Employees of the Afghan-Japan hospital which is allocated to treat Coronavirus patients said that they have not received their salaries for many months.

“Most of the cases are Omicron… We don’t have machines to detect Omicron cases, we also don’t have necessary kits,” said Hashmat Faizi, one hospital official.

Afghan patients and their relatives meanwhile are concerned about the lack of drugs and medical equipment in hospitals.

“Our patient had [Coronavirus] symptoms, we transferred him here. It is not clear yet whether he is infected by Coronavirus or not,” said Nasar, a relative of one patient.

“Our patient had been admitted here for a long time. We don’t have a good place to stay here, our problems should be reduced,” said Namat Gull, another relative.

Despite the increase in COVID cases across Afghanistan, people continue to ignore advice to wear face masks in public nor do they stick to social distancing regulations.

Advertisements in the media about measures to take to avoid contracting the virus have also stopped.

Health

Azerbaijan urged to help improve capacity of Afghan health workers

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(Last Updated On: April 22, 2024)

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.

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Balkh health officials report sharp increase in number of cancer patients

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(Last Updated On: April 18, 2024)

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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Majority of Afghans with mental disorders are women: officials

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(Last Updated On: April 13, 2024)

Based on last year’s data, 52 percent of people with mental disorders in Afghanistan are women, the Ministry of Public Health said.

However, after the Islamic Emirate took over the country and with the improvement of nationwide security and the provision of better health services, mental disorders have decreased, the ministry said.

“Overall, the mental security of men and women in Afghanistan is not ensured and their mental security is disturbed. According to the figures shared with us, in 2023, 52 percent of the visitors for mental disorders were women,” said Sharaft Zaman Amarkhil, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Health.

“Generally speaking, we can say that compared to the past, the instances of mental illnesses have decreased,” he added.

People suffering mental disorders mostly refuse to share their problem, willingly or unwillingly.

“There are many problems at home; We are poor. I finished school, but didn’t find any job,” Ansar, a mentally ill person, said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), half of Afghanistan’s population suffers from mental distress.

Factors such as unemployment, poverty, domestic violence, ban on girls’ and women’s education and work, and drugs are said to be key contributors to mental distress.

 

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