The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health announced on Wednesday that the Government of India has donated 4.8 tonnes of vaccines to Afghanistan. The shipment includes vaccines vital for the prevention of tetanus, hepatitis B, and influenza.
According to the ministry, these vaccines are expected to save thousands of lives across the country, where healthcare services have been severely affected by prolonged instability and funding cuts.
Earlier, on World Hepatitis Day, the ministry reported that approximately 15000 people in Afghanistan had been diagnosed with hepatitis in the past year, 12000 of whom were infected with hepatitis B and 1300 with hepatitis C. Abdul Wali Haqqani, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister for Health Services, confirmed these figures.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has continued to call for increased testing, treatment, and vaccination to combat hepatitis in Afghanistan. WHO estimates suggest that over 100000 people in the country have contracted hepatitis over the past decade.
The donation comes at a critical time, as many healthcare centres across Afghanistan have closed following the suspension of US foreign aid, contributing to a surge in preventable infectious diseases.
