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Updated October 6th, 2021 at 20:34 IST

COVID-19 testing and vaccination decline in Afghanistan since August: WHO

The World Health Organisation Afghanistan has informed that COVID-19 testing and vaccination have declined since August in the war-ravaged nation

Reported by: Apoorva Kaul
WHO
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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The COVID-19 testing and vaccination have declined since August in Afghanistan. Taking to Twitter, World Health Organisation Afghanistan said that since August, COVID testing and vaccination has declined in the war-torn nation. Furthermore, they said that about 1.6 million doses of vaccine will expire if they are not used. 

COVID testing and vaccination declined in Afghanistan

The WHO Afghanistan in the tweet said, 'Since August COVID19 testing + vaccination has declined across Afghanistan. Around 1.6 million doses of vaccine could expire if not used quickly. To address this, @WHO and partners are boosting testing and supporting the rollout of a vaccination campaign in 16 provinces.' In another tweet, WHO Afghanistan informed that the WHO recently flew 50,000 COVID-19 test kits to Afghanistan to fill gaps at labs. 

The WHO Afghanistan in the tweet wrote, 'Lab completed in Nimroz last month and in Kunar yesterday. Labs in Parwan, Laghman & Kapisa underway. When complete there will be 36 WHO-supported COVID labs in Afghanistan.' According to WHO Afghanistan, there have been 155,309 confirmed COVID cases in Afghanistan. The total number of fatalities reported due to COVID is 7,214.

'3.2 million Afghan children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition'

Meanwhile, the UN agencies on Tuesday, 5 October, warned that an estimated 3.2 million Afghan children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of this year. According to UNICEF, the alarm was sounded following a two-day visit to the city of Herat by UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, Hervé Ludovic De Lys, and World Food Programme’s (WFP) Afghanistan Representative and Country Director, Mary-Ellen McGroarty. The UN officials even alerted that at least a million Afghan children are at risk of dying if they don't get immediate treatment.

The UN agency noted that around 14 million people in the war-ravaged nation are facing acute food insecurity. It said that according to surveys, 95% of households in Afghanistan are not consuming enough food, adults are eating less and skipping meals so their children can eat more.

“Without reliable access to water, food and basic health and nutrition services, Afghan children and their families are bearing the brunt of years of conflict and the current economic crisis,” the UNICEF said in a press release. 

Image: AP

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Published October 6th, 2021 at 20:34 IST

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