KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local Taliban authorities in eastern Parwan province report that approximately 500 people in the region have been infected with an unknown infectious disease.
The office of the Taliban governor in Parwan stated in a release that the disease has been spreading in the Shinwari district over the past four days.
The Taliban statement says those infected with the disease are experiencing general body weakness, severe limb pain, diarrhea, and high fever.
The Taliban stated that the disease is spreading rapidly, and patients in critical condition have been transferred to provincial hospitals and Kabul for further treatment.
They also noted that blood samples from infected patients and drinking water samples from the region have been sent to the central laboratory and the Ministry of Public Health for examination.
The Taliban Ministry of Public Health has not yet provided any comments regarding the outbreak of this disease.
Following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, the country’s healthcare system has collapsed, resulting in shortages of medicine, equipment, and healthcare professionals in hospitals throughout the country.
Since then, UN agencies, including the WHO, have repeatedly warned about the severe health system crisis in Afghanistan, saying that the crisis increases the likelihood of infectious diseases and outbreaks.
Last month, the WHO reported a significant increase in infectious diseases in Afghanistan, including Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), measles, and Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD).
WHO says that access to quality healthcare remains a critical issue in Afghanistan, with over 18 million people relying on humanitarian health assistance.
Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies, including those providing healthcare services, have experienced severe funding shortfalls in recent years, leading to the closure of dozens of organizations and hospitals across the country.
On the other hand, the Taliban’s restrictive policies, particularly those affecting women and girls, have also resulted in the suspension of dozens of organizations providing humanitarian services in Afghanistan.
