Afghanistan reports 10,000 Covid-19 cases, 650 deaths in past 5 months

The Taliban informed that at least ten thousand COVID-19 cases and 650 deaths were reported in Afghanistan in the past five months.

Acting Public Health Minister Dr Abdul Bari Omar on Saturday said that they had taken measures to check the spread of coronavirus and 8000 to 12000 people were administered vaccine on a daily basis, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.

The public health minister shared the information at a time when health services have been disrupted in recent months across the country, creating problems for people.

According to the ministry, the health sector was 90 per cent dependent on foreign aid, which has been suspended, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.

Omar acknowledged the lack of resources to establish COVID-19 treatment hospitals across the country but said efforts were underway to control the situation with foreign assistance.

He also said that the Taliban had discussed with UNICEF the establishment of 10 oxygen-producing plants in order to avoid its shortage.

He urged the international community to keep politics away from health and help the Afghans in this regard, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.

The acting public health minister called malnutrition of children another challenge, which he linked with poverty, not breastfeeding children by their mothers and unhygienic food items sales in the market. He said currently 3.2 million children in Afghanistan faced malnutrition.

However, he said they were working jointly with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) to cope with children's malnutrition, reported Pajhwok Afghan News.

He also shared information about childbirths, saying 20000 women delivered children through C-sections and 398,000 babies conceived naturally across the country.