1.8 million people contract respiratory conditions in one month: Afghanistan’s Health Ministry
After the World Health Organization reported on the increase in acute respiratory infections in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Public Health of the Taliban government also confirmed the rise of this disease in the country.
Shirafat Zaman, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan, announced on Monday, 5th February, in a recorded message, the confirmation of the increase in this disease in the country and stated that cases of respiratory illness have increased in various parts of the country.
According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Health, nearly 1.8 million people have been affected by respiratory illness in the first month of 2024.
The World Health Organization recently reported an increase in acute respiratory infections in Afghanistan in the last two weeks of January 2024, with nearly 84,000 cases of acute respiratory illness registered in the country during these two weeks.
The World Health Organization’s report also indicates that from the beginning of January to the 27th of the month, 160,756 cases of acute respiratory infections have been registered in Afghanistan, with 383 individuals losing their lives due to this disease in 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
However, according to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, the mortality rate from respiratory diseases in the current year has decreased compared to the same period last year due to the establishment of new health centres in various parts of the country. He also mentioned that the World Health Organization confirms this.
The World Health Organization has warned that polluted and toxic air can lead to serious risks such as strokes, heart diseases, lung cancer, shortness of breath, and other chronic and acute respiratory illnesses.
