Health ministry marks World Malaria Day in Kabul

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) says more than one million cases of malaria were reported in 34 provinces of Afghanistan in 2022.

Marking World Malaria Day in Kabul under the title “Time to Deliver Zero Malaria, Invest, Innovate, Implement” Habibullah Akhundzada, deputy minister of public health, said that last year, 90 percent of malaria cases were recorded in eastern provinces such as Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar and Nuristan.

The ministry officials also said that in 2022, malaria cases were reported in 84 countries.

In this event, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) assured Afghanistan of full their cooperation over treatment, prevention, and eradication of malaria.

“The United Nations Development Program together with the ministry of public health, National Malaria Program and partners have played a very important role in malaria control in Afghanistan,” said Soraya, a representative of UNDP.

“We really hope this cooperation will lead to the elimination of malaria in the near future, we have to work together to put together our hands to make this happen.”

“This day is commemorated all over the world for two main reasons, we celebrate our successes in the fight against malaria and at the same time, we highlight the responsibility we all have to eliminate malaria for good,” said Mohammad Akhtar, head of the CDC and NDC department of WHO in Afghanistan.

Doctors meanwhile attributed the increase in the prevalence of malaria to the lack of access to health centers, of patients not being diagnosed quickly, and stagnant water, saying that malaria is still a serious threat to Afghanistan.

Since 2000, the world has reportedly made historic progress against malaria and saved millions of lives.

However, half of the world’s population is still at risk of malaria, which is a preventable and treatable disease.

According to reports, children under five years old, pregnant women, people with low immune systems, immigrants and displaced persons are more at risk.