Rahmatullah Afghan
22 children under the age of five and 15 children below the age of one die every hour. And every 30 minutes, a mother dies during childbirth.
According to Dr. Suraya, the survey showed that 54% children are malnourished; 38% children and 25% women aged between 15 and 49 suffer from anemia. She said that lack of clean drinking water threatens the life of many Afghans and only 27 to 30% Afghans have access to clean drinking water.
These statistics were announced by Dr. Suraya Dalil, Deputy Minister for Policy and Planning and Acting Minister of Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in a press conference in Kabul with Dr. Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General Health Action in Crises, World Health Organization (WHO).
She said that these statistics were obtained after a national survey carried out by MoPH and WHO about the losses and dangers a year ago.
According to Dr. Suraya Dalil, the mortality rate of children and mothers in Afghanistan is higher than other countries.
She elaborated that diarrhea, breathing diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, measles, unhygienic conditions and inabilities of mother and child to reach a health centre are the main reasons for the hiking mortality rates.
Dr. Dalil said that despite many vaccination campaigns around the country, only 37% children have been completely vaccinated and in the past one year, 38 polio cases have been registered.
She added that on national level, 33% women have been administered the tetanus vaccination.
According to Dr. Suraya, the survey showed that 54% children are malnourished; 38% children and 25% women aged between 15 and 49 suffer from anemia.
According to sources, currently, 54% Afghans reach a health centre after an hour.
She said that lack of clean drinking water threatens the life of many Afghans and only 27 to 30% Afghans have access to clean drinking water.
She further added that MoPH and WHO would work together to create big pharmaceutical stores on a national and provincial level so they can be used during emergencies and natural disasters.
She said that the ministry along with the international health institutions would build coordinating centers to fight natural disasters and would connect the local health centers to the former through transport and communication.
Eric Laroche is in Aghanistan for some days and stated that Afghanistan is in a dire health condition.
He further added that due to high demands, WHO along with MoPH is planning to double the number of female midwives in the hospitals of Afghanistan.
According to MoPH, the total number of midwives throughout Afghanistan is 2442.
Dr. Eric elaborated that WHO is also working on public health awareness programs for Afghanistan.