Officials from the Infectious Diseases and COVID-19 Hospital in northern Kunduz province have reported a significant increase in infectious diseases in the region in recent months.
Health officials say more than 5,500 patients have sought treatment at the hospital in the past month alone.
The head of the hospital, Qiamuddin Safi, told KabulNow that diseases such as Crimean-Congo fever, diarrhea, COVID-19, pneumonia, measles, and cholera have become more prevalent in Kunduz province, resulting in numerous infections.
Dr. Ahmed Zia, an infectious disease specialist at the hospital, attributes the spread of these diseases to a lack of adherence to health guidelines and the hot weather conditions. He said that many patients were suffering from acute diarrhea and other diseases that could have been prevented by following proper health practices.
Local residents of Kunduz province have reported that temperatures have soared between 40 and 45 degrees Celsius in the past month. The intense heat and the absence of adequate cooling facilities in their homes have posed various challenges, including the increased transmission of infectious diseases.
Following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, the country’s health system has collapsed, resulting in a shortage of medicine, equipment, and healthcare professionals in many hospitals.
Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Afghanistan’s healthcare system is in a dire state, with an estimated 17.6 million people in need of life-saving humanitarian health assistance in 2023.
With poverty and hunger also on the rise, the situation is becoming increasingly dire as the UN has repeatedly warned that over 28 million people in Afghanistan are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
