Afghanistan gripped by multiple disease outbreaks

WASHINGTON: Afghanistan is facing multiple disease outbreaks, including Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD), measles, Congo fever, dengue fever, and Covid-19, media reports said citing a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report. The WHO report stated that there has been a substantial rise in acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) cases nationwide, Afghanistan's local media portal Khaama Press said.

Almost over a number of 19,050 cases of AWD are confirmed in various provinces across Afghanistan, especially Kabul, Paktia, Khost, Paktika, Jawzjan Ghazni, Kandahar, and Zabul provinces. All provinces are still reporting instances of measles even after a decline in occurrences. As per the report there are total 64,654 cases of measles across Afghanistan.

Congo fever, or scientifically Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), has also spread in different zones of Afghanistan particularly in 13 provinces in southern, south-eastern, eastern, and central regions, with 229 confirmed cases, with six associated deaths. Afghanistan province of Nangarhar saw new dengue fever cases skyrocketing in July 2022.

In a bid to respond to the epidemics, medical emergencies, and natural disasters looming over Afghanistan in July 2022, WHO is reaching out to the country and providing resources and building up its capacities. Another unfortunate event took place in Afghanistan when a 5.1 aftershock struck the south-eastern provinces of Khost and Paktika on July 18, 2022. This was in addition to the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that struck on June 22, 2022 which injured more than 361,000 people and claimed 1036 lives.

The United Nations allocated USD 10 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Funds (UNCERF) to support the people of Afghanistan affected by the earthquake that struck the eastern part of the country.Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) of Bahrain has entered into an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to distribute relief aid to support people in Afghanistan affected by the recent earthquake.India had also handed over the consignments of relief assistance to support the Afghan nationals affected by the earthquake.The relief assistance handed over by the Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary (PAI), JP Singh consisted of essential items including family ridge tents, sleeping bags, blankets, sleeping mats, etc to support the people of Afghanistan in quake-affected regions.India also deployed a technical team to the Embassy in Kabul to coordinate the efforts of stakeholders for the delivery of humanitarian aid.