AFGHANISTAN
CRISIS
STILL PROVIDING LIFESAVING CARE
Since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, also known as the Taliban) took power in August 2021, MSF’s vital medical activities have continued in the country.
MSF doctors, nurses, midwives, specialists and other support staff are committed to providing care and medical aid to those who need it most throughout the five regions where we are active in Afghanistan. We could not do this without your continued support.
Our urgent medical response continues
MSF has been supporting the Herat Regional Hospital’s 40-bed Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre.
In January 2022, there were on average 66 new admissions to the centre each week, which was more than 40% higher than in December.
Saving lives
MSF’s 300-bed Boost hospital in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, continues to be busy across all departments.
The hospital has been operating over capacity since September 2021 and had an overall bed occupancy rate of 120.9% in January 2022. Also in January, 1,832 women gave birth in our maternity unit
Providing vital continuation of care
In Kandahar we continue to run our Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) project, with 49 patients still enrolled in the programme at the end of January. A total of 22 patients were cured and discharged in 2021.
In September, MSF re-started screening patients for TB at Mirwais regional hospital, having put this activity on hold during the peak of the fighting in August 2021.
Emergency trauma surgery
In Kunduz, 900 patients were triaged in the MSF trauma centre emergency room in January 2022. 860 had been injured in accidents and 40 had violence-related injuries. We admitted 103 patients for treatment, including 26 to the intensive care unit.
Our team carried out 220 surgical procedures, mostly for wound debridement and dressings. Staff provided 990 consultations in the outpatient department, 360 for new patients and 660 for follow-up care.
MSF project locations in Afghanistan in 2022
MSF operations continue in our five project locations across Afghanistan: Herat, Kandahar, Khost, Kunduz, and Lashkar Gar.
MSF teams in Helmand and Herat have been treating high numbers of patients for months, and hospital departments are frequently working above their capacity. This is likely due to a combination of factors, including: people’s widespread health needs; the improved security situation, which allows patients to travel to seek healthcare; and the weakness of the Afghan health system, which has long been reliant on international aid and was badly impacted by a drastic reduction of funding in 2021.
Most health facilities in the country are under great pressure, with shortages of staff and equipment, while some are barely functioning or are closed altogether. This has left many patients unable to access the treatment they need in public health facilities, while private healthcare is unaffordable for millions of Afghans.
Your support is what allows us to continue our vital medical humanitarian work in Afghanistan.
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