Afghanistan: Measles has challenged the country's healthcare system

Measles cases have been on the rise in Afghanistan since July 2021, according to the World Health Organization. From the beginning of January to May 14 this year, 46,632 cases were reported, including 270 deaths.

Measles, which first appears with the symptoms of a cold, can lead to blindness, swelling of the brain, and respiratory infections. There is a vaccine for the disease, but regular injection coverage in Afghanistan has encountered serious problems and obstacles.

As the Taliban came to power last August, what the World Bank calls a "complex economic crisis" gripped Afghanistan. Foreign governments and multilateral development banks suspended billions of dollars in international aid, and billions more were frozen in foreign assets. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of people took refuge in foreign countries. Of those left in the country, 24 million are now in dire need of humanitarian assistance, and 95% of Afghans do not have enough food to eat each day.

Political developments have affected access to health care in addition to the consequences of the corona. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative for Afghanistan, economic problems have reduced staff at the country's health centers, and the corona vaccine and its problems have prevented people from administering and injecting other essential vaccines.

The blocking of foreign aid by large donors, such as the World Bank, has also closed many hospitals.

The war in Ukraine has prevented the international community from paying attention to Afghanistan. However, Afghan children do not have more than six months to get rid of the disease, and this is not enough time for the media to turn their attention to Afghan children from Ukraine. They need vaccines and rapid crisis management to save them from the disease.

 

_{Source: The New Humanitarian}