Malnutrition in Kunduz: 500 children hospitalized, 12 deaths

KUNDUZ (TOLONews): Since the beginning of this solar year, more than 500 children in Kunduz province have been hospitalized in the regional hospital due to malnutrition, and 12 of them have lost their lives.

Doctors said that this illness has increased by 20% compared to the same five months of last year.

Sediqullah Zare, a malnutrition specialist at the Kunduz regional hospital, said: “Since the month of March we have hospitalized 530 patients, which shows a 15 to 20 percent increase compared to the same five months of last year, with 10 to 12 cases resulting in death.”

Poverty, lack of spacing between births, and delayed vaccination of children are cited as the main causes of this illness.

Sayed Shakib Haleem, a doctor, said: “One of the main reasons is during pregnancy when mothers are not properly nourished, they face a lot of stress and other issues. Additionally, postnatal nutrition is also poor, which leads to malnutrition, and the child becomes a victim of poverty.”

Sediqa, a patient, said: “Our economic situation is weak, and I am happy that I came to this hospital because they provide milk to the child, and we also have a malnutrition card.”

Fatima, another patient, said: “Our economic situation is very bad, and that’s why our children suffer from this illness. We have a lot of problems.”

According to doctors, the long-term effects of malnutrition can lead to health problems and chronic diseases, increasing the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.