TB cases rise 30% in Southern Afghanistan

KABUL (TOLONews): Tuberculosis Cases in the Southern Region Increase by 30% Compared to Last Year

Hayatullah, a 36-year-old resident of Marjah district in Helmand, contracted tuberculosis from members of his family.

He has now come to the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Kandahar for treatment. Alongside him, several other patients will remain hospitalized at the MSF facility in Kandahar until they recover from tuberculosis.

Speaking about his illness, Hayatullah said: “My grandmother was infected with TB, and I contracted the virus from her. I began experiencing shortness of breath, fever, and dizziness. When I was tested, I was diagnosed with TB, and now I am receiving treatment here.”

Another patient, Surat Khan, shared his experience: “I came from Shajoy district of Zabul, accompanied by my wife. When we first arrived, she was in a state of convulsion, but now she has improved. She can eat, drink, and even walk on her own.”

Officials at the MSF hospital in Kandahar reported that since the beginning of 2025, around 1,500 patients with the common form of tuberculosis and another 90 patients with severe drug-resistant TB from Kandahar, Zabul, and Uruzgan have been treated at the hospital. This represents a 30% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

They added that 60% of the TB patients are women.

Sediqullah Ishaq, deputy director of the MSF hospital in Kandahar, stated: “Since the beginning of 2025, in collaboration with the National Tuberculosis Program, we have treated 1,500 patients with the ordinary form of tuberculosis and 90 patients with drug-resistant TB in Zabul, Kandahar, and Uruzgan. This shows a 30% increase compared to last year.”

Purity, head of medical services at the MSF hospital in Kandahar, said: “Due to social and other factors in Afghanistan, women are more vulnerable to tuberculosis. We can say that 60% of the patients coming to us are women, which is a significant number.”

Health experts emphasize that tuberculosis is a dangerous bacterial disease that claims millions of lives every year in Afghanistan, the region, and worldwide.

The main symptoms of this disease include persistent cough, fever, chest pain, night sweats, and weight loss.