The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report released Thursday that 45.1 percent of cases of acute respiratory infections in Afghanistan involve children.

Since October 2022, of the total 4,353,661 ARI cases reported, representing 13.3 percent of the total population of Afghanistan, 45.1 percent have afflicted children under five years of age, the report said.

In addition, ARI cases have increased since 2022 compared to the average of the previous three years.

The report also said that in the last month of February, over 828,000 ARI cases were newly reported.

Afghanistan experienced one of the coldest winters this year in decades.

WHO’s report said that following emergencies, an estimated 17 percent of impacted adults experience mild to moderate psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Decades of conflict and instability have left many Afghans vulnerable to mental health problems, which are risk factors for drug abuse, the report said.

Chile detected the first case of bird flue in a human, the country’s health ministry reported on Wednesday.

The case was detected in a 53-year-old man who presented severe influenza symptoms, according to a statement issued by the ministry, but they noted the patient was in stable condition.

The government is also investigating the source of contagion as well as others who were in contact with the patient.

Chile has reported cases of the H5N1 bird flu since late last year in wild animals.

Recent cases in industrial farms caused the government to halt poultry exports. Industrial cases have also been detected in Argentina, but Brazil, the world’s largest exporter of poultry, remains free of the contagion.

Chilean health authorities noted the virus can be transmitted from birds or marine mammals to humans, but there is no known human-to-human transmission.

Earlier this year, Ecuador confirmed its first case of human transmission of bid flu in a 9-year-old girl. Global health officials have said risk of transmission between humans is low, but vaccine makers have been preparing bird flu shots for humans “just in case.”

Brigadier General Dr. Abdul Wali Ahmadzai and a team of specialists at the Kabul military hospital have successfully operated on a man from Helmand who was born with a club foot.

The medical team from the orthopedic department of the Sardar Mohammad Dawood Khan Hospital in Kabul, said the patient, Abdul Ahmad, never received corrective surgery on his right foot as a child.

“He had not seen a doctor, he was in a defective condition,” a statement issued by the hospital read.

Now, however, Ahmad’s foot has been realigned and he is expected to make a full recovery.

Another success story was Sara, a 13-year-old girl, who had been struggling with a severe limb deformity and had been unable to walk. After successful surgery, she can now walk, doctors said.

According to the statement, the team of specialists has made enormous progress in recent months in treating patients – often performing life-changing surgery.

With the appointment of qualified staff and ensuring standards are maintained, treatment being offered is helping to prevent patients from having to travel to neighboring countries for medical treatment.