Latest News
Concerns over Low Quality Medicines in Afghanistan Markets
The increase of low quality medicines in Afghanistan markets are threatening the lives of Afghan citizens.
A number of patients say the reason that poor quality medicines are being sold in the markets is the lack of government’s attention and supervisions.
“At first, I thought hospitals cannot recognize the diseases and treat them, but now I found out that the medicines have no effects on the patients due to its poor quality,” Qand Aqa, a resident of Kabul said.
According to reports, about 90% of Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical products are imported while 40% of them are illegally imported. It is estimated that the combined value of both illegal and legal pharmaceuticals in Afghanistan is USD 700-880 million.
“This is a clear issue that there is no supervision. Medicines are imported in every way possible with poor quality,” Sami, another Kabul inhabitant asserted.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) confirms that 12 percent of medicines have low quality in the pharmacies of the country.
“Unfortunately, our borders are not secure and due to that the smugglers smuggle medicines to the country. For this reason, they are not under the control of the central government and the laboratories,” Sayed Asadullah Akhlaqi Zada, inspection officer of pharmacies said.
However, the Union of Pharmaceutical Services rejects the poor quality of medicines in the markets, saying the lack of recognizing diseases are the main reason for concerns of people.
“The main problem is reorganization of diseases. There are no standard centers. For example, three laboratories have three different results. But they put it on the low quality of medicines,” Muhammad Qasem, head of Union of Pharmaceutical Services added.
It is estimated that up to 70% of pharmaceuticals imported into Afghanistan are produced in neighboring countries, specifically for the Afghanistan market.
However, The Pharmaceutical Law deals with selection, production, importation, distribution and consumption of pharmaceutical products in the country.
But It was enacted at a time when there was significant need for pharmaceutical products in Afghanistan, which the law addressed by over-simplifying much of the importation process.
In brief, poor quality medicine and high prices in the market have created considerable challenges toward healthcare services in Afghanistan.
Years of civil war and violence has had a devastating effect on the Afghan healthcare system and unlike other countries in the region, Afghanistan has seen increasing rates of preventable diseases such as diarrhea and respiratory infections.
Former president Hamid Karzai said in a meeting with Iran’s ambassador and special representative, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, that education of girls was a “vital issue” for Afghanistan.
Karzai said he appreciated Iran’s cooperation and its standing with the Afghan people, especially Iran’s contributions to education in Afghanistan.
During the meeting, Karzai said peace and stability in the region are in the interest of all regional countries.
A shipment of humanitarian aid from Uzbekistan was handed over on Thursday to the local officials of Balkh province in the trade port of Hairatan.
Local authorities said the aid, which includes flour, oil, wheat, sugar and meat, has been handed over by Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya governor to the governor of Balkh.
The governor of Surkhandarya stated the purpose of sending this aid was to support the people of Afghanistan and stressed the need for the development of good relations between the two countries.
Islamabad’s special envoy for Afghanistan Asif Durrani said on Wednesday that Pakistan has suffered more due to Afghanistan’s internal situation than Pakistan has suffered in three wars with India in terms of blood spilt and finances drained.
Durrani said at a one-day International Conference titled “Pakistan in the Emerging Geopolitical Landscape”, which was organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), that over 80,000 Pakistanis died in the two decades of the War on Terror and that his country was still counting its dead and injured.
“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was hoped that peace in Afghanistan would bring peace to the region. However, such expectations were short-lived,” he said.
He also stated that attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group on Pakistan’s border areas increased by 65 percent, while suicide attacks increased by 500 percent.
“The TTP’s enhanced attacks on Pakistan while using Afghan soil have been a serious concern for Pakistan. Another worrying aspect is the participation of Afghan nationals in these attacks,” he said.
Durrani also said Pakistan had suffered geopolitically since the Soviet Union invaded the neighboring country.
“The post-9/11 world order has negatively impacted Pakistan. Apart from losing 80,000 citizens’ lives, including 8,000 law enforcement agency personnel, the country’s economic opportunity cost is estimated at $150 billion,” Durrani said.
Talking about the future outlook for Pakistan in the regional context, Durrani said that while “our eastern neighbor is likely to continue with its anti-Pakistan pursuits, the western border poses an avoidable irritant in the short to medium term.”
However, he said Pakistan can overcome its difficulties with Afghanistan, including the TTP challenge.
US student protests over Gaza intensify despite arrests
Tahawol: Pakistan’s security concerns from Afghan soil discussed
Saar: Visits by foreign diplomats to Kabul discussed
Girls’ education is a ‘vital issue’ for Afghanistan: Karzai
Uzbekistan’s humanitarian aid arrives in Balkh
Dead body of Quran-burner found in Norway
ATN secures rights to produce, broadcast second season of KPL
UN expert says Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, calls for arms embargo
Yadav hits 156.7 km/h as Lucknow trump Bengaluru in IPL match
Afghanistan’s national futsal team ‘ready for’ group stage of Asian Cup
Tahawol: Pakistan’s security concerns from Afghan soil discussed
Saar: Visits by foreign diplomats to Kabul discussed
Tahawol: Calls for handing over Afghanistan’s seat to IEA discussed
Malaysian delegation trip to Kabul discussed
Tahawol: US State Dept’s criticism of human rights violations in Afghanistan discussed
-
Latest News5 days agoPakistan’s frontiers minister stresses ‘dignified’ return of Afghan refugees
-
Regional4 days agoIranian president lands in Pakistan for three-day visit to mend ties
-
Latest News3 days agoRashid Khan named AWCC’s brand ambassador
-
Climate Change5 days agoMassive river flooding expected in China, threatening millions
-
Latest News5 days agoChinese keen to invest in Panjshir-Kabul water conduit project
-
World5 days agoTwo Japan navy helicopters crash, one body found, 7 missing
-
Sport4 days agoKolkata beat Bengaluru by one run in IPL as Kohli fumes at dismissal
-
Sport4 days agoACL: Aino Mina 3-0 Istiqlal Kabul; Attack Energy 3-0 Khadim