Malaria remains a public health concern in Afghanistan

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has reported that malaria remains a public health concern as 27% of Afghans live in areas where there is a high risk of the disease.

According to UNDP, 50% of the people in Afghanistan live in areas where the probability of contracting malaria is moderate, and only 23% of them live in areas where the risk of contracting malaria is low or does not exist.

This organization said the transmission of this disease, which is more prevalent in summer, varies from one region to another for several reasons.

According to their report, the confirmed number of malaria cases dropped from more than 391,000 cases in 2012 to 175,000 in 2019.

The World Health Organization meanwhile reports that globally 249 million cases were recorded in 2022, across 85 countries. The death toll was 608,000.

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness.

The disease is however preventable and curable.