Nangarhar records 25 scabies outbreaks this year

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): The Public Health Department of eastern Nangarhar province has recorded 1,914 cases of scabies in 25 outbreaks during the past seven months.

Health officials said scabby breakouts since late March reached 25, which showed a significant spike in the cases of the unpleasant skin infection.

Patients who have scabies complain about itchy skin and redness of skin and this a curable ailment with some specific medicines.

Public Health Department spokesman Naqibullah Rahimi told Pajhwok Afghan News 23 major outbreaks of scabies occurred in Nangarhar in 2023, with 1,498 people contracting the disease.

All the scabies patients received free treatment and they were given awareness about how to prevent the disease from spreading to other people, Rahimi said.

But during the first seven months of 2024, at least 25 major breakout incidents occurred in the province and 1,419 patients were brought to hospitals.

He said: “These figures include only those patients who visited health centers with acute scabies during major breakouts as well who received treatment.”

A special rapid response team of the Public Health Department has been tasked with responding to such breakouts in cooperation with humanitarian organizations.

Health officials recommend drinking clean water, consuming healthy food and living in a clean environment to save ourselves from scabies.

Sayed Mohammad Mohammadi, a specialist of infectious diseases, said that skin diseases were usually contagious and one should keep his/her body clean to avoid such diseases.

Mohammad said: “I advise people in Nangarhar to eat washed fruits during hot season and consume clean food, drink health water to observe their hygiene.”

However, the people of Nangarhar say the government should create awareness about the illness and provide treatment facilities

Rizwanullah, whose son was infected with scabies, he said he had no idea about scabies until his son contracted it.

To save other families and people from this ailment, he asked the public health department to launch awareness programs about the infection.

Sayed Fazil, another resident of Jalalabad city, said, the public health department must spread awareness about seasonal diseases.

Scabies is a parasitic skin disease caused by mites. The mites enter the skin, lay eggs inside the skin which then causes intense itchy and red skin, the illness mostly causes skin hurts and skin rashes.

aw/ma