1.6 mn COVID vaccines in Afghanistan will expire soon: WHO

AROUND 1.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in stock in Afghanistan should be used as soon as possible, otherwise they will expire soon, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

The international body said that the process of testing and vaccinating against Covid-19 has significantly dropped off since the beginning of August 2021.

With all the difficulties on the ground, the WHO said it is working with partners in at least 16 Afghan provinces to increase testing and vaccination against Covid-19.

The WHO in Afghanistan has targeted the vaccination of at least 20 per cent of an estimated 32 million population, among other goals.

On Wednesday, the WHO announced that it has sent medical packages to two hospitals in Kabul and the organization’s provincial offices, enough to cover the needs of 50,000 people.

Since August, the WHO said that it has sent life-saving medicines and supplies to 360 medical facilities in Afghanistan, enough for the needs of around 3.9 million people.

Earlier the organization said that Afghanistan’s health system was on the brink of collapse unless urgent action is taken.

According to data from the WHO, nine out of 37 Covid-19 hospitals already closed down in September, and thousands of health-care staff across the country had remained unpaid for months.

As of Tuesday, the local broadcaster TOLOnews reported over 151,000 infected with the coronavirus.

Approximately 7,000 people across Afghanistan have also lost their lives since the beginning of the pandemic.

The WHO in Afghanistan has targeted the vaccination of at least 20 percent of an estimated 32 million population, among other goals