The state of refugees amidst COVID-19 in Afghanistan

The current COVID-19 pandemic has heavily burdened the health     care system in Afghanistan. As it was previously anticipated; Afghanistan has faced countless challenges in the era of the novel pandemic. These challenges posed an unprecedented level of burden on healthcare systems. 

Except for the external refugees that were constantly returning, there was the mobility of afghans within the country who were displaced because of the raging conflicts. Their displacement in major cities such as Kabul, the capital was an unfavorable thing, as it resulted in increased levels  of urbanization, mobility      and rapid transmission of the virus amongst the vulnerable citizens. Moreover, the floods of immigrants from Pakistan and Iran who were coming back to the country to settle  in Kabul was unsatisfying for the health care workers. There have been       reports of inhumane treatment  and disapprovals from the hospitals they were visiting in Pakistan and Iran. Their settlement in the country and the need for      testing burdened the health     care providers but was necessary  to assure they were      free of COVID-19.

From every angle to observe the situation of Afghanistan’s health care system holistically, fragility and poor infrastructure come into observation. The fact that the country has the least number of healthcare  providers (One healthcare provider per 10,000 people) is also another major dilemma when it comes to providing the health facilities to the refugees and other citizens.

With the aforementioned setbacks and problems, the current health system is colliding massively because there is less space for caring and delivering health facilities to those immigrants and resided citizens in the country. To overcome the crisis, Afghanistan needs vital support from other international stakeholders. 

Resources:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343722115_Addressing_COVID-19_in_Afghanistan_What_are_the_efforts_and_challenges
Yasir Essar
Yasir Essar

Yasir Essar is a Global health enthusiast from Afghanistan. He studies at Kabul University of Medical Sciences. His journey through global health started when he incorporated research as one of his main aspects of professional career. He has three publications in the top journals. Aside from publications, he is interested in leadership which makes him a perfect suit in leading some of the research groups.

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