On Tuesday, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced the opening of a national cancer treatment facility, citing that 23,000 Afghans are affected with cancer each year, and 16,000 die.

Doctor Sidiq Hashimi, a senior at the cancer control centre, said that three cancer treatment facilities currently exist in Kabul, Herat and Balkh provinces of Afghanistan, reported by Pajwok News. 

Jamhoriat Hospital is the only cancer treatment in Kabul with 60 beds, while Herat and Balkh cancer treatment centres have 15 15 beds, respectively. 

The existing data show that the number of cases in Afghanistan has been increasing compared to last year, officials said.

Most of these cases were breast cancer among women. At the same time, men mainly had throat cancer, and the reasons were the use of chemicals, lengthy wars and the use of different weaponry in the country, said Sharafat Zaman, the MoHP spokesperson.

The international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted its first-ever review of Afghanistan’s cancer care needs for treating cancerous patients in Afghanistan in 2018.

The mission by the IAEA founds that amidst the deterioration of security, the country lacks health care and facilities to diagnose and treat cancer cases in Afghanistan.

 “Diagnostic and treatment equipment is also insufficient to cover the country’s needs, and there is a significant lack of qualified medical personnel – such as pathologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and technicians – to provide adequate cancer care.”, IAEA stated.

As a result, most cancer patients either pass away or seek treatment in nearby countries, Pakistan and Iran.