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Updated September 17th, 2021 at 00:43 IST

Afghanistan crisis: Health infrastructure may collapse entirely in the wake of war, COVID

United Nations officials have warned against the crisis in Afghanistan basis an estimate that 90% of health infrastructure and medical facilities in Afghanistan

Reported by: Srishti Jha
Afghanistan
AP | Image:self
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The United Nations officials have warned against the crisis in Afghanistan amid an estimate that 90% of health infrastructure and medical facilities in the war-ravaged state would shut down. This comes to the fore as international organisations have cut down on funding to the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan and the Afghanistan health structure operated by the Taliban. The COVID-19 pandemic in the self-imposed government has also impacted the war-ravaged nation.

Despite it having been two years since the spark of SARS-Cov-2 that led to deaths of millions, the pandemic does not top Afghanistan's list of worries. According to a report by The National Interest, the health infrastructure of Afghanistan appears to be safe as the 'population is overwhelmingly young, and young are typically less vulnerable to COVID-19'. Also, Afghanistan's death rate has been lower than various other countries. 

Afghanistan's Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) claim nearly 7,100 COVID-related deaths have been reported in the country since the outbreak of the pandemic. Obviously, the healthcare facility in Afghanistan is not as well equipped as it needs to be, and also records among the lowest COVID vaccination rates in the world. The country needs to import COVID-related medical supplies, including PCR tests and other life-saving equipment, according to the country's Dr. Wahid Majrooh, the country’s acting health minister. 

COVID testing centres in Afghanistan are shut since the evacuation of US-led forces, commented Majrooh, who held office in the Ministry of Public Health till the Taliban's conquest since August 15. Majrooh also revealed that of nearly 300 COVID-19 tests conducted by authorities on September 7, more than 100 were tested positive. Further, he had expressed grave concern over Afghanistan's incompetence to curb the surge in COVID infections. Reports suggest that Afghan hospitals no longer have the power to hold cold storage, typically required to store COVID vaccines and COVID-19-related shipments.

Majrooh also warned against the temporarily suspending medical aid to Afghanistan would ignite more than urgent consequences, outpacing the war-ravaged country's health care system. He stated that when we hear messages from the World Bank or the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund donors, whether they say that they have put our funds on hold, or they've frozen them; what that actually means is that 3700 health facilities, health of 35 million people will collapse.

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Published September 17th, 2021 at 00:43 IST

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