Health
Malaria remains a public health concern in Afghanistan
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The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has reported that malaria remains a public health concern as 27% of Afghans live in areas where there is a high risk of the disease.
According to UNDP, 50% of the people in Afghanistan live in areas where the probability of contracting malaria is moderate, and only 23% of them live in areas where the risk of contracting malaria is low or does not exist.
This organization said the transmission of this disease, which is more prevalent in summer, varies from one region to another for several reasons.
According to their report, the confirmed number of malaria cases dropped from more than 391,000 cases in 2012 to 175,000 in 2019.
The World Health Organization meanwhile reports that globally 249 million cases were recorded in 2022, across 85 countries. The death toll was 608,000.
Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness.
The disease is however preventable and curable.
Health
UNICEF issues emergency tender to secure mpox vaccines
Depending on the production capacity of manufacturers, agreements for up to 12 million doses through 2025 can be made, according to the statement.
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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued an emergency tender to secure mpox vaccines for crisis-hit countries in collaboration with the Gavi vaccine alliance, Africa CDC and the World Health Organization, the organizations said in a joint statement on Saturday.
Depending on the production capacity of manufacturers, agreements for up to 12 million doses through 2025 can be made, according to the statement.
Under the tender, UNICEF will set up conditional supply agreements with vaccine manufacturers, the statement said.
This will enable UNICEF to purchase and ship vaccines without delay, once financing, demand, readiness and regulatory requirements are confirmed, Reuters reported.
The collaboration – which would also include working with the Vaccine Alliance and the Pan American Health Organization as well as with Gavi, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and WHO – would facilitate donations of vaccines from existing stockpiles in high-income countries.
The statement added that WHO is reviewing information submitted by manufacturers on Aug. 23, and expects to complete a review for an emergency use listing by mid-September.
The agency is reviewing applications for emergency licences for two vaccines made by Bavarian Nordic (BAVA.CO), opens new tab and Japan’s KM Biologics, read the report.
Earlier in August, the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo that spread to neighbouring countries.
More than 18,000 suspected cases of mpox have been reported in Congo so far this year with 629 deaths, while over 150 cases have been confirmed in Burundi, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Sweden and Thailand have confirmed cases of the clade Ib type of the virus, outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries.
Health
Ministry of Health says no reports in Afghanistan of monkey pox
So far, cases of monkeypox have been recorded in Pakistan, Sweden and Africa.
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The Ministry of Public Health has announced that no suspected or positive cases of monkey pox have been registered in Afghanistan.
After receiving reports about two suspected cases of monkey pox in Kabul and Paktia, officials say that no suspected or positive cases of this disease have been registered in Afghanistan.
Sharaf Zaman Amarkhel, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, said on Tuesday that the ministry will announce it if there is a suspected or positive case of monkeypox.
Earlier, a number of media, citing health sources, reported that two suspected cases of monkey pox were detected in Kabul and Paktia.
The officials of the Ministry of Public Health announced nearly a week ago that they are trying to prevent the spread of the disease.
So far, cases of monkeypox have been recorded in Pakistan, Sweden and Africa.
The World Health Organization recently declared the outbreak of monkey pox a health emergency and said that the new strain of this virus is spreading.
Health
IEA forms technical committee to combat mpox threat
The Deputy Minister of Public Health appointed the teams to work together on the preparation of the list of duties and the definition of mpox, and present it for approval in the next week’s meeting.
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The Ministry of Public Health on Thursday announced that the technical committee to fight and prevent mpox virus met under the leadership of deputy minister for health services, Abdul Wali Haqqani.
Directors of the Ministry of Public Health, and representatives of World Health Organization (WHO), the UN agency for children UNICEF, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were also present at the meeting.
According to the Ministry of Public Health’s statement, the participants of the meeting discussed and exchanged views on the preparation of the list of duties for the technical team, the definition of mpox, and the necessary measures to prevent the virus in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Public Health appointed the teams to work together on the preparation of the list of duties and the definition of mpox, and present it for approval in the next week’s meeting.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared a global health emergency in response to the widening mpox outbreak. The virus, which can be fatal in some cases, is known to spread through close contact and is particularly concerning given its potential to escalate into a pandemic.
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