Health

A polio vaccination drive was launched on Saturday in four eastern provinces of the country, targeting around 1.4 million children.

Minister of Public Health Maulvi Noor Jalal Jalali says a long-term strategic plan for the Afghanistan’s health sector would be developed after 2026 to clearly define the role of donors in ensuring the integration of services following a comprehensive assessment.

During hot summers, most families and shopkeepers in Kabul use ice, but concerns have arisen about its quality and safety. Officials say many ice production factories in the capital use rusted molds and substandard equipment.

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) says services have been provided to about 1.1 million children affected by malnutrition in the past six months.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan has received over $6.3 million in humanitarian funding for Afghanistan.

Minister of Public Health Maulvi Noor Jalal Jalali has emphasised that access to health services is a right of the people and the health sector must be kept free from political influence.

A 400-bed specialized mother-child hospital will be constructed in southern Kandahar province over the next two years with funding from a Qatari charity foundation.

During the hot summer days, many people drink cold water and refrigerated soft drinks to quench their thirst.

More than 50,000 positive malaria cases have been recorded in public and private health centers across the country over the past six months, with the mosquito-borne disease still posing a public health threat in Afghanistan, say health officials.

Doctors say with the intensification of the summer heat, infectious diseases—especially diarrhea—have increased in Kabul city. They urge citizens to observe both personal and environmental hygiene and avoid eating leftover food.

Despite warnings about the dangers of plastic bags and the ban on their import, the use of these bags continues widely in markets, and experts have once again stressed the need for public awareness and full enforcement of the ban on such bags.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it supports the local economy and domestic production in Afghanistan to prevent the production of goods that cause child malnutrition.