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The first case of the Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) in Afghanistan was detected on 22 February 2020 in a person who had returned from Qom city, Iran.1 As of 30 May 2022, a total of 180,176 confirmed cases, including 7701 deaths, were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). The recovery rate is reported to be around 90% and Case Fatality Rate to be 4.29%.2 However, it is said that the actual figures of the infected cases might be much higher than the reported numbers.3

Meanwhile, a total of 6,118,557 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to the residents in the country.2 Afghanistan is the lowest among many nations in terms of the COVID-19 vaccine coverage. As per the official reports, around 10% of the total population are vaccinated thus far, which is way behind the proposed target for 2022, ie 60%.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the COVID-19 has spread throughout the country in four waves. The first wave was reported to span from the end of April to June 2020; the second wave began by October 2020 and lasted until the end of December 2020; the third wave reportedly began by April 2021 and lasted until mid-August 2021.2

An analysis of the recent data uploaded by the District Health Information Software-2 (DHIS2) reveals that the fourth wave of the COVID-19 passed in March 2022. As shown in Figure 1, the peak numbers were reported during the month of February 2022 with highest confirmed cases in the first and second weeks, ie 3850 and 3847 cases, respectively. By March 2022, the cases began to decline until the curve almost fattened in April 2022.

Figure 1 The trend of the COVID-19 confirmed cases during JanApr 2022 (fourth wave).

The COVID-19 pandemic hit Afghanistan at a time when the country was politically undergoing changes, with a fragile healthcare system which was unable to respond to the emergence of COVID-19 and to the needs of the most vulnerable people. The government lacked the means to communicate adequately with the citizens, trace contacts, collect and test samples. In the beginning of the fight against COVID-19, the government had only one dedicated hospital, the Afghan Japan Hospital, for the provision of COVID-19 related services, including sample collection. A few months later, Ali Jinnah Hospital was also designated to treat COVID-19 patients in Kabul. In both these hospitals, the outpatient and inpatient clients were very high, making it almost impossible to provide the needed health services and case detection.

Before August 15, 2021, overall, a total of 38 COVID-19 hospitals were operating throughout the country, all of them funded by international donors. Alongside these, Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) and District Centers (DCs) were also established as part of the Emergency Response to COVID-19 to conduct risk communication sessions, collect samples of suspected cases, trace contacts and advice on mild and moderate cases to be treated at home. These actions were vital in helping to reduce the burden of the COVID-19 designated hospitals, and thus enabled them to focus on the management of severe and critical cases. After the collapse of the previous government, all funding and supports to the COVID-19 emergency response were reduced and most of the hospitals were forced to stop their operations due to lack of funds, doctors, medicine, and even heating.4

The lack of healthcare personnel to collect the samples of suspected individuals and the shortage of kits for laboratory diagnostic tests are still the major challenges in most districts of Afghanistan. High levels of financial insecurity in several parts of the country have had a large and direct negative effect on the provision and coverage of healthcare services for the general public.5 Unfortunately, many people who have received their first shots of the COVID-19 vaccine have not received the next dose due to shortage or unavailability of vaccine.6

Although the fourth wave of the COVID-19 passed with no clear and accurate data of the mortality and morbidities, it is assumed that the next wave might not be too far. Challenges such as the lack of or insufficient donor funds, unstable political situation, inadequate healthcare services, insufficient healthcare workers and diagnostic capacity, illiteracy of people, poor economy and shortage of the COVID-19 vaccine are threatening to push the nation towards a devastating stage. The de facto authority also does not seem to have a clear plan to fight against the pandemic. Therefore, the international community, civil societies, healthcare workers and other stakeholders should pool their efforts immediately to improve and restore the health system.

Fortunately, many COVID-19 hospitals resumed their operations with the funds provided by international donors; however, for the long term, the COVID-19 services should be integrated in the countrys existing healthcare services framework, ie the Sehatmandi project. Moreover, awareness campaigns should be continued to keep the most vulnerable groups safe and protected. Vaccination services also need to be speeded up to have a significant portion of people immunized. Public willingness towards getting the vaccine should be increased through awareness campaigns mostly conducted by social media volunteers and healthcare workers.

The authors would like to sincerely thank Dr. Pakeer Oothuman, a former professor of parasitology at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia and International Islamic University Malaysia, for editing the manuscript.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in relation to this work.

1. Mousavi SH, Shah J, Giang HTN, et al. The first COVID-19 case in Afghanistan acquired from Iran. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020;20(6):657658. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30231-0

2. World Health Organization. COVID-19 dashboards - Afghanistan situation. Available from: https://covid19.who.int/region/emro/country/af. Accessed May 31, 2022.

3. Nemat A, Asady A. The third wave of the COVID-19 in Afghanistan: an update on challenges and recommendations. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2021;14:20432045. doi:10.2147/JMDH.S325696

4. Al-Jazeera. COVID surge batters Afghanistans crumbling healthcare. Available from https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2022/2/10/photos-covid-surge-batters-afghanistans-crumbling-healthcare. Accessed February 11, 2022.

5. Shah J, Karimzadeh S, Al-Ahdal TMA, et al. COVID-19: the current situation in Afghanistan. Lancet Global Health. 2020;8(6):e771e772. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30124-8

6. World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. COVID-19 vaccines shipped by COVAX arrive in Afghanistan, Available from: http://www.emro.who.int/afg/afghanistan-news/covid-19-vaccines-shipped-by-covax-arrive-in-afghanistan.html.Accessed June 23, 2022.

Original post:
The fourth wave of the COVID-19 in Afghanistan | IDR - Dove Medical Press

The overall security situation across Afghanistan, including Save the Children impact areas, is challenging. Armed conflict continues in Panjsher, Baghlan, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces, and for the first time after the takeover, armed conflict occurred in Samangan province.

The World Bank says incomes are likely to have fallen by around a third in the last months of 2021. Across the country four out of five people (83%) are unemployed. In some provinces, unemployment rates are as high as 95%.

Living costs and food prices have skyrocketed over the last several months, with a kilogram of wheat now costing almost 55% more compared to June 2021.

Even before the fall of the previous government the impacts of drought, COVID-19 and ongoing conflict had already left millions facing severe hunger across the country. But since August 2021, financial collapse triggered by global economic sanctions and international funding cuts has driven hunger to unprecedented levels. Many families are surviving only on stale bread that they soften with water and eat.

The health system is collapsing at a time when children and their families need support the most. As well as soaring rates of hunger and malnutrition, Afghanistan is also contending with four major disease outbreaks: dengue fever, COVID-19, acute watery diarrhoea and measles. Measles is of particular concern with the number of cases having increased almost five-folds since the end of last year. Since the outbreak started, more than 54,386 cases have been detected and more 321 deaths since Jan-2022.

On 22 June 2022, the deadliest earthquake to hit Afghanistan in two decades struck at a depth of 10km in the countrys south-east in the early hours while most people were asleep. Its estimated more than 1,000 children and adults have lost their lives and approximately 1,600 people have been injured.

Read more here:
Save the Children's Response in Afghanistan (May Update) [EN/PS/Dari] - Afghanistan - ReliefWeb

Emergency kits for skin grafts and basic bone surgery are part of 24.5 tonnes of medical aid being sent by the World Health Organisation from its logistics hub in Dubai on Tuesday to assist victims of the earthquake in Afghanistan.

The $330,000 worth of aid was loaded on to lorries at WHO warehouses in Dubai's International Humanitarian City (IHC) on Monday to be flown to Kabul, from where it will be distributed to assist people in the eastern provinces of Khost and Paktika where a 6.1-magnitude earthquake last Wednesday killed more than 1,000, injured at least 1,400 and left thousands homeless.

It includes non-communicable disease (NCD) kits and testing equipment for cholera, the potentially fatal gastrointestinal infection that officials fear could spread rapidly amid a lack of safe water supplies and proper sanitation.

We are in co-ordination minute-by-minute with our team in Afghanistan, who are the ones who requested the items. Once the items have arrived the charter will be offloaded immediately and lorries will be ready to take the different supplies to clinics and hospitals in Afghanistan, Nivien Attalla, operational manager of the WHO Logistics Hub in Dubai, told The National as the aid was being loaded.

This is the WHO's first shipment from Dubai for the earthquake victims, but only a small part of the global relief efforts carried out by the UN agency and the IHC.

Nivien Attalla, operational manager at the WHO Logistics Hub in Dubai's International Humanitarian City. Suhail Akram / The National

Last year we shipped to 129 countries, which means we're a global responder, Ms Attalla said. Most of the shipments go to the EMRO region that is, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Pakistan and Somalia, which are among the top countries we're responding to.

Tuesday's shipment of aid is likely to be followed by more, IHC chief executive Giuseppe Saba said.

Once a full assessment of the situation is done, everybody knows therell be a second wave of humanitarian aid that will be moved, he said.

Afghanistan is currently the IHC's number one priority, Mr Saba said.

As of today, Afghanistan is the first country thats being served by the IHC community, while the second one is Yemen and then on the number three we have the critical situation in Europe with the Ukraine crisis, he said

In a year, the IHC sends out about 1,000 to 1,300 shipments.

Giuseppe Saba, chief executive of Dubai's International Humanitarian City, at the World Health Organisation warehouse Suhail Akram / The National

As of today were almost at 400 shipments through IHC [this year], Mr Saba said.

IHC is the largest humanitarian hub in the world with 80 different organisations.

Besides WHO, others include the World Food Programme, the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) and Unicef (United Nations Children's Fund), Mr Saba said.

Last week, the UAE sent food, aid and medical supplies to Afghanistan after President Sheikh Mohamed ordered an air bridge to be established for the relief effort.

A medical team and field hospital were also sent to south-east Afghanistan, state news agency Wam reported.

Updated: June 28, 2022, 5:00 AM

Continue reading here:
WHO readies shipment of emergency supplies from Dubai to Afghanistan - The National

According to the Talibans Ministry of Public Health, the fifth round of the polio immunization campaign in Afghanistan began today, June 27th.

The process of administering vaccinationswill be carried out until Thursday, according to the Taliban health officials.

The polio eradication departments Wali Shah Momin expressed optimism that the vaccination drive, like previous polio immunization campaigns will be able to administer vaccines to up to 9.9 million children.

We will launch a nationwide polio immunization campaign this week from Monday to Thursday, Momin said. In Paktika province, however, the process would start later due to the earthquake.

During the nationwide 4-day polio campaign, 9.9 millionchildren under the age of 5 will be targeted.

In the previous polioimmunization campaign, which was held for 5 days starting from 23rd May,in addition to the polio vaccine, vitamin A supplementation was also administered.

Since the start of the year, Paktika province has recorded one confirmed case of polio. According to the Taliban governments Ministry of Public Health, the number was only 4 in all of Afghanistan last year.

With the exception of Afghanistan,and Pakistan, polio has been completely eradicated worldwide.

Polio is a serious, incurable viral disease that can only be prevented with immunization. The condition renders children permanently disabled.

Read more:
The Fifth Round of Nationwide Polio Vaccination Drive Begins in Afghanistan - The Khaama Press News Agency - The Khaama Press News Agency

Attachments

(Kabul, 26 June 2022): The UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, has concluded a one-day mission to Mir Sahib and Khanadin in Giyan district, Paktika Province one of the worst-affected areas following Wednesdays devastating 5.9 magnitude earthquake.

The visit, which took place on Saturday, 25 June, also included representatives from UNHCR, IOM, WFP, WHO, UNICEF, UN Women, FAO and OCHA. While there, members of the delegation met with female and male members of the affected community, many of whom had lost family members and friends, including several orphaned and separated children, and whose homes are now uninhabitable.

Yesterdays visit reaffirmed to me both the extreme suffering of people in Afghanistan and their tremendous resolve in the face of great adversity, said Dr. Alakbarov. In addition to food assistance and emergency shelter and repair, interventions such as the restoration of damaged water pipes and cholera prevention and preparedness activities are absolutely vital, as are the restoration of communication lines, road access, and basic livelihoods. Without such transitional support, women, men, and children will continue to endure unnecessary and unimaginable hardship.

With assessments ongoing, the full scale of Wednesdays tragic events has yet to be uncovered. Initial findings from needs assessments show that in Giyan District alone at least 235 people were killed in Wednesdays earthquake, including 134 children, and almost 600 injured, with children accounting for more than 200 of those wounded. In addition, more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed and two schools damaged.

Across all earthquake-affected areas, satellite imagery reveals damage to at least 2,000 homes which are more than 5km from a good road in the hardest hit areas of Giyan and Barmal districts in Paktika Province and Spera District in Khost Province. It is further estimated that tens of thousands of homes that are still standing have experienced extensive damage and risk collapsing.

Wednesdays earthquake comes at a time when increased restrictions on women and girls have amplified their needs and complicated response efforts to assist them over the past few months.

Speaking in Giyan District, Alison Davidian, the Country Representative a.i. for UN Women said: Women and girls are differentially affected by crisis. When their rights to move and work are restricted as they are in Afghanistan, they are disproportionately impacted, especially in accessing food, healthcare and safe shelter. As we move forward in addressing the needs of the earthquake-affected population, women humanitarian workers and women led civil society must be at the center of the crisis response. This is the only way to ensure the needs and rights of at-risk and crisis-affected women and girls are effectively identified and addressed.

In response to the earthquake, the United Nations and humanitarian partners have developed a three-month multi-sectoral emergency appeal within the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan to scale up and expedite the delivery of humanitarian and resilience assistance to almost 362,000 affected people in Paktika and Khost provinces.

Notwithstanding the phenomenal generosity that donors have already displayed to Afghanistan over these past tumultuous ten months, I urge the international community to dig deep at this time, as the population confronts yet another emergency, and to pledge support to these life-saving and life-sustaining efforts, Dr. Alakbarov said.

Notes to Editors:

Latest updates on the earthquake response can be found here.Hand out photos are available to the press here.

For further information, please contact:Kate Carey, Deputy Head of Office, OCHA Afghanistan, carey2@un.org, Mobile +93 79 300 3700www.unocha.org http://www.reliefweb.int

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Humanitarian Coordinator Concludes Mission to Earthquake-Affected Areas in Afghanistan and Announces Emergency Response Plan to Deliver Life-Saving...