Health in Afghanistan
Health in Afghanistan remains weak but steadily improving. It has been negatively affected by the nation's environmental issues and the decades of war since 1978. The Ministry of Public Health oversees all matters concerning the public health in all provinces of Afghanistan. Because much of the country is very cold during the winter, the number of its citizens getting sick is always higher in that season. Some Afghans live in modern homes and apartments in the [list of list of cities in Afghanistan|cities in Afghanistan|cities] while others in rural areas.
Despite being one of the least developed countries, Afghanistan has experienced major health improvements in the last decades, with life expectancy increasing from 56 to 66 years. Maternal mortality rate was reduced by half, with the rate estimated at 521 deaths per 100,000 live births, and the child mortality rate estimated at 55 deaths per 1,000 live births. Over 82% of the entire population has access to clean drinking water, with urban dwellers at 99%.
Afghanistan is one of the only two remaining countries that has not eradicated polio. Nearly 100,000 of its citizens face death each year from malnutrition and foodborne illness. In the same period about 16,000 die from various forms of cancer, and a similar number from tuberculosis. Over 1,000 die from diabetes and the same many in traffic collisions. Health officials stated in 2020 that around 5,000 Afghans died from air pollution, which has long been a problem in Kabul.
Health status
Afghanistan became a member of the World Health Organization on April 19, 1948. It has an estimated population of around 40 million people. Of this, approximately 35 million are in the country while the remaining 5 million or so reside in Iran, Pakistan, and elsewhere around the world.[List of list of hospitals in Afghanistan|hospitals in Afghanistan|Hospitals], clinics, dentist offices, and pharmacies can be found in all 34 provinces and most districts of Afghanistan. Major surgeries are performed in some of these Afghan hospitals. About 87 percent of the population has access to basic healthcare, and citizens themselves pay approximately 75% of healthcare costs directly. Despite having 200 pharmaceutical companies in the country, most medicines are still imported from other countries.
Afghanistan has one of the lowest health worker density in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with a ratio of 10.3 medical doctors, nurses and midwives per 10,000 people, considerably below the threshold for critical shortage of 23 health professionals per 10,000. It was reported in 2007 that Afghanistan's health workforce shortage is a result of the continued war in the country since 1978, including the historic under-investment in education and training, migration, lack of infrastructure, and equipment and poor remuneration. Other challenges also include lack of opportunities for career advancement, staff absenteeism, moonlighting, and weak management. Cultural and socio-economic barriers have also contributed to the overall shortage as well as gender and geographic imbalances in the health workforce. As per the global pattern, many health workers prefer to work in Kabul and other large cities for a notably better standard of life. In addition, policies limiting female education affecting health workforce production are still felt and encountered today, especially in more rural provinces.
The shortage of female health professionals has long been seen as an access and comfort issue for female patients in Afghanistan. The shortage of such professionals is also a quality of care issue for female patients. Female health professionals in Afghanistan may be more sensitive to the needs of female patients, and adult females can interact freely with each other, whereas sex discordant adults face constraints in their interactions that may hinder the ability of a provider to deliver high quality healthcare.
Latest reports say 700,000 orphans, widows and people with disabilities are registered with the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs. The country is currently seeing millions of its citizens returning from neighboring Iran and Pakistan. UNICEF has warned in 2022 that up to 1 million Afghan children were at risk of death from malnutrition. According to the World Food Program, more than half the population faced acute hunger, with nearly 9 million residents one step away from famine. The provinces of Kandahar and Paktika have been more affected by the latest food shortage crises. Due to this unprecedented food crisis, drought, and disruptions to vital health and nutrition services, children across Afghanistan were increasingly vulnerable to disease and illness.
Major diseases and viruses
Cancer
Around 16,000 patients die annually from various types of cancer. The most common cancers in Afghanistan are breast cancer, esophageal cancer and stomach cancer. To combat these deadly diseases, a number of major cancer treatment hospitals are being built in the country.Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever
Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever has killed over a hundred Afghans in recent years. WHO has reported 178 cases of Congo fever in 2025.Dengue
Cases of dengue fever have been reported in Afghanistan, mainly in Nangarhar Province where 1,081 hospital patients were tested positive for having dengue virus.Diabetes
Like in other countries, cases of diabetes are on the rise in Afghanistan. The disease kills over 1,000 citizens annually. Around 90% of the diabetes patients have type 2 diabetes.Hepatitis
Latest reports indicate that approximately 15,000 people may be infected with hepatitis in Afghanistan. At least 6,000 cases were reported in 2023. The disease has killed 140 people in 2024.- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
HIV
Afghanistan is one of the countries with a low number of confirmed HIV-cases. In May of 2004, an Afghan man and his two small children died of AIDS in Kabul. They were registered in the country as the first AIDS victims. 504 HIV-positive cases were documented in late 2008. By 2019, the number had steadily climbed to 2,923. Most were intravenous drug users, and 70% of them were men, 25% women, and the remaining 5% children. They belonged to Kabul, Kandahar and Herat, the provinces from where people make the most trips to other countries. Regarding Kandahar, 22 cases were reported in 2012. The government said 1,320 blood samples were examined and 21 were HIV-positive. Among the 21 patients, 18 were males and three were females who contracted the deadly virus from their husbands. Four people had reached a critical stage while three had died. The main source of the disease was the use of syringes by drug addicts. A UNDP representative recently said that more than 12,000 Afghans may be living with HIV. In 2025, the government reported 300 new HIV-positive cases.| Time | People with HIV |
| 1989 | 1 |
| 1990 | 600 |
| 1995 | 1,300 |
| 2000 | 1,900 |
| 2005 | 2,000 |
| 2019 | 2,923 |
Influenza
WHO recently recorded 64,658 cases of influenza and acute respiratory infection in Afghanistan, for which the country does have vaccines to fight them. COVID-19 has killed over 8,000 Afghans since early 2020.Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is estimated to cause the ninth largest disease burden among infectious diseases worldwide. It is not preventable by vaccination or chemoprophylaxis, but only by personal protective measures preventing bites of infectious arthropod vectors. The disease still exists in Afghanistan. Four Leishmania species have been considered endemic in northern Afghanistan, of which Leishmania tropica, L. major, and L. donovani can produce skin lesions while L. donovani and L. infantum visceralize. Visceral leishmaniasis infections are often recognized by fever, swelling of the liver and spleen, and anemia. They are known by many local names, of which the most common is probably Kala azar. A total of 21 cases of VL acquired in Afghanistan, all in the 1980s according to CDC reporting.Leprosy
Despite anti-leprosy initiatives by Leprosy Control dating to 1984, leprosy is present in Afghanistan, with 231 cases reported in the 2001-2007 period. Just over three-quarters of the cases were the MB-type, with the rest PB-type. Leprosy has been reported mainly in the provinces of Bamyan, Ghazni and Balkh. One of the doctors who have been treating leprosy patients was Tetsu Nakamura.Malaria
Although malaria is another public health problem in Afghanistan, the number of confirmed cases of people infected with malaria have been decreasing in the last decade. WHO has reported 5,591 cases of malaria in 2025. Ten people have died from it in 2017 and two in 2024.Malnutrition
Child malnutrition continues to be one of Afghanistan's main health concerns. Over 3 million children experience permanent mental and physical damage because they are poorly nourished in the crucial first two years of life. Each year over 30,000 of them die from malnutrition.Maternal mortality
In the past, Afghanistan had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. It was estimated at 1,640 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1980. It has steadily decreased to 521 deaths per 100,000 live births. The child and infant mortality rates have also been steadily decreasing.| Time | Maternal Mortality |
| 1980 | 1,640 |
| 1988 | 1,280 |
| 1996 | 1,180 |
| 2004 | 792 |
| 2013 | 400 |
| 2023 | 521 |