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Up to 8 children dying daily in Kabul hospital from malnutrition: Source

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(Last Updated On: March 9, 2022)

As many as eight children die each day from malnutrition at just one hospital in Kabul, a reliable source told Ariana News on Wednesday.

According to the source, who asked not to be named, the deaths have happened at the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul.

However, hospital officials have denied the claims and said they have recorded only one death from malnutrition in the past month.

Malnutrition among children across Afghanistan has raised serious concerns in the past few months.

Last month, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Afghanistan warned that one million Afghan children could die from severe acute malnutrition if “urgent actions” are not taken.

Hasib Rahimzai Wardag, chief of the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital, said on Wednesday: “We have two wards for malnutrition – one which involves medium-level treatment and supply of materials and the other involves acute cases requiring hospitalization. We had only one death among the patients in beds during the past one month.”

Meanwhile, patients and visitors at the hospital have complained about a number of issues including the lack of discipline among staff, the lack of medicine and medical supplies, and the mistreatment of patients at the facility.

“There is no accountability and we wait so long for doctors. My patient is suffering from both malnutrition and a cleft palate. They should attend to people. We buy all the medicines. There is nothing in the hospital,” said Zarlasht, a relative of one patient.

Humaira, a relative of another patient, said: “I have been at the hospital for one month. I don’t understand why the doctors are not telling me what the child is suffering from and why he is not recovering.”

UNICEF meanwhile has also warned that some 3.2 million children under the age of five are at risk of severe malnutrition in Afghanistan by the end of the year as a result of the country’s severe humanitarian crisis.

Health

Public Health minister meets with head of the UN refugees agency

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(Last Updated On: March 22, 2024)

Dr. Qalandar Ebad, the Minister of Public Health met with Leonard Zulu, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, on Thursday in Kabul to discuss issues facing the health sector in the country.

Among the issues discussed was that of the establishment of new health centers for returnees in the country.

Ebad said the provision of better health services for compatriots and returnees was one of his priorities and requested the cooperation of this organization in this field.

Leonard Zulu assured Ebad of the organization’s continued cooperation.

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Health

Ebad addresses gathering of health sector supporting organizations in Doha

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(Last Updated On: February 29, 2024)

The Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Qalandar Ebad on Thursday attended a meeting of health sector-supporting organizations in Doha, Qatar and spoke about the need to focus on certain areas of healthcare in the country.

In his speech, Ebad spoke of work needed to reform the health system, joint supervision, self-sufficiency of the health sector, standardization of health services at village and district level and provision of all-round health services.

He asked international colleagues in the field of health to work more on reducing administrative costs and delivering aid in a proper and correct manner.

Ebad said that if excessive administrative expenses are prevented, it will have a positive effect on the expenses in the field of health services.

He also emphasized that the release of the country’s frozen assets would be beneficial for the health sector especially for mothers and children.

It is a big and positive step for the independence of Afghanistan’s health system, development and standardization of health services, which should be taken by the international community, he said.

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Health

Polio vaccination campaign underway in Afghanistan

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(Last Updated On: February 26, 2024)

The Ministry of Public Health, in cooperation with international institutions, on Monday launched the second sub-national polio vaccination campaign for 2024.

The campaign runs in different parts of the country from 26 to 29 February 2024, and aims to reach 7.6 million children below the age of five.

“We are committed to eradicating polio in Afghanistan with the cooperation of our partners. We are working day and night and continue supplementary polio vaccination campaigns and health care services in order to reach the goal of completely eradicating polio throughout the country,” Acting Public Health Minister Qalandar Ebad said.

“The support of all Afghans, especially elders and religious scholars, is important in polio eradication activities. It is necessary for them to participate in the fight against polio and keep their children healthy,” he added.

Polio is a viral disease that cannot be cured and can only be prevented and eradicated by vaccination.

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