Healthcare in Afghanistan will collapse until pressing motion is taken: WHO

After the US exit from Afghanistan and takeover by Taliban, the World Health organisation is anxious about well being of the individuals of Afghanistan. The WHO just lately accomplished a high-level mission to Kabul, Afghanistan, the place they met with senior members of the Taliban management, UN companions, healthcare employees, sufferers and WHO workers.

“Afghanistan’s health system is on the brink of collapse. Unless urgent action is taken, the country will face an imminent humanitarian catastrophe. Our visit allowed us to witness the immediate needs of the Afghan people firsthand and meet with stakeholders to define ways to urgently scale up our health response, says WHO, in a statement.WHO expressed concern about cuts in donor support to the country’s largest health project, Sehatmandi, and has left thousands of health facilities without funding for medical supplies and salaries for health staff.ALSO READ: ‘Gains of 20 years can’t be turned back’: WHO concerned over healthcare situation in Afghanistan”Many of those services have now lowered operations or shut down, forcing healthcare suppliers to make laborious selections on who to save lots of,” said WHO.”Only 17% of all Sehatmandi well being services at the moment are totally useful. This breakdown in well being providers is having a ripple impact on the supply of primary and important well being care, in addition to on emergency response, polio eradication, and Covid-19 vaccination efforts,” says WHO.Nine of 37 Covid-19 hospitals have already closed, and all aspects of the Covid-19 response have dropped, including surveillance, testing, and vaccination. Prior to August this year, 2.2 million people had been vaccinated against COVID-19.In recent weeks, vaccination rates have decreased rapidly while 1.8 million Covid-19 vaccine doses in country remain unused. Swift action is needed to use these doses in the coming weeks and work towards reaching the goal of vaccinating at least 20% of the population by the end of the year based on national targets.ALSO READ: Taliban rule heartbreaking for those who built Afghanistan’s education sector: NGO worker who lived in KabulAfghanistan is one of two countries in the world where polio remains endemic. “With just one case of untamed poliovirus reported to date this yr, in comparison with 56 in 2020, there has by no means been a greater time to eradicate polio. However, the polio programme will battle to reply if the essential immunization infrastructure begins to break down round it. Measles outbreaks are additionally spreading. With entry to all communities now not impeded, WHO and companions are prepared to start a country-wide house-to-house polio vaccination marketing campaign and embrace measles and Covid vaccination in an built-in marketing campaign.WHO significantly emphasizes the necessity for girls to keep up entry to schooling, well being care, and to the well being workforce. With fewer well being services operational and fewer feminine well being employees reporting to work, feminine sufferers are hesitant to hunt care. “We are committed to working with partners to invest in the health education of girls and women and continue training female health workers,” mentioned the World Health Organisation.ALSO READ: Afghanistan’s final free citadel: Panjshir, the land of 5 lions, stands as much as Taliban