Health in Afghanistan
[21] Afghanistan's health workforce shortage is a result of the continued war in the country since 1978, including the historic under-investment in education and training, migration, lack of infrastructure and equipment and poor remuneration.
[22] Other challenges also include lack of opportunities for career advancement, staff absenteeism, moonlighting, and weak management.
[23] Cultural and socio-economic barriers have also contributed to the overall shortage as well as gender and geographic imbalances in the health workforce.
As per the global pattern, many health workers (especially specialists and female doctors) prefer to work in Kabul and other large cities for a notably better standard of life.
[24] In addition, policies limiting girls' education affecting health workforce production are still felt and encountered today, especially in more rural provinces.
According to the World Food Programme, more than half the population faced acute hunger, with nearly 9 million one step away from famine.
Also due to an unprecedented food crisis, drought and disruptions to vital health and nutrition services, children across Afghanistan were increasingly vulnerable to disease and illness.
[37] Sanitation issues place the Afghanistan population at risk of contracting hepatitis A through the consumption of food and water that has been contaminated by fecal material.
HCV prevention efforts in Afghanistan should focus on expanding access to and coverage of harm reduction services among people who inject drugs and prisoners.
Health officials stated that most of the HIV patients were among intravenous drug users and that 70% of them were men, 25% women, and the remaining 5% children.
They belonged to Kabul, Kandahar and Herat, the provinces from where people make the most trips to neighboring or other foreign countries.
AIDS Prevention department head Dr Hamayoun Rehman said 1,320 blood samples were examined and 21 were positive.
[50] More than half of Afghan girls and boys experience permanent mental and physical damage because they are poorly nourished in the crucial first two years of life.
The Ministry of Public Health, World Bank and WFP have been working together for ensuring that mothers are healthy before they become pregnant and throughout pregnancy, promoting appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices, ensuring that children receive adequate health care to prevent growth faltering resulting from illness and early treatment of acute malnutrition and Promote appropriate hygiene practices.
[59] In Afghanistan, the mortality ratio for children <5 years of age is 90 deaths/1,000 live births, twice the global average; 20% of deaths are from pneumonia.
[62] These issues could be addressed by strengthening the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness program of WHO, introduced in Afghanistan in 2004.
[68] Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries where the transmission of endemic wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) continues.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been engaged in promulgating DOTS (directly observed therapy, short course) treatments, as well as TB awareness and prevention.
[71] BRAC is a development organization that focuses on the alleviation of poverty through the empowerment of the poor to improve their lives.
This implementation was mainly funded by the World Bank and the USAID-REACH (United States Agency for International Development - Rural Expansion of Afghanistan Community-based Healthcare).
BRAC Afghanistan was selected as Principal Recipient (PR) for malaria and TB components of the Global Fund 8.
[12] According to the Afghan Red Crescent Society, as much as 11,000 children are affected by the treatable disease known as ventricular septal defect, which is commonly referred to as hole in the heart.
