Why do Leishmania cases increase in Nangarhar?
Health officials in Nangarhar province say that the number of people suffering from leishmania, including women and children has increased in this province.
Sayed Abdullah Baryalai; The official of the Malaria and Leishmania Control Seminary in Eastern Afghanistan says that 36,930 people were infected with Leishmania in 2021 and 55,213 people in Nangarhar in 2022.
According to him, despite the activity of malaria and leishmania treatment centres in Nangarhar province, the number of people suffering from leishmania is increasing.
Baryalai calls climate change, not using mosquito nets, poverty, displacement of families from their original areas and the return of Afghan immigrants from Pakistan the main reasons for increasing Leishmania cases.
“This year, cases of leishmania have increased in Nangarhar province and may increase even more, but the Department of Public Health and partner institutions have taken control steps and we expect that the cases will be controlled, but if the mosquitoes increase, the climatic condition deteriorates, and as much as the return of migrants and internally displaced people increase, the Leishmania cases will increase as well.”
At the same time, the residents of Nangarhar province claim that not enough information has been given to the people about this disease, so the cases are increasing.
Akram Khan; A resident of Kuzkunar district says that a mosquito bit her ten-year-old daughter, but her family found out after five months that she was infected with Leishmania.
“At first, there was a spot on my daughter’s face, and as time passed, the spot grew and suddenly a lump was found. I didn’t know if it was Leishmania or some other problem, but people told me that it was Leishmania. I didn’t know that my daughter had been infected with Leishmania, after that I went to the doctor for her treatment.”
However, some residents of Nangarhar province still treat leishmania in a traditional way, but they do not know whether their patients will be cured or not.
Khan Wali; The resident of Batikot district considers the awareness campaigns nothing enough and says that people treat the infected person in a traditional way and do not go to the doctor.
“They put onions and homemade medicines on it, because no one knows about this disease, for this reason, its spots remain on children’s faces. The people do not have information and its cases have increased, so it is necessary that the government inform the people about Leishmania.”
Mahmood; A resident of Behsood district of Nangarhar province also says that there is no house without a person infected with leishmania in their living area.
“In every house, there is a person; women, men and children are infected, and they all have Leishmania.”
Meanwhile, Mohammad Yunus; A resident of Kamah district asks the government for making access to health centres easy and distribute mosquito nets to the people like in the past.
“My request to the government is to provide mosquito nets for the people and spray pesticides. In the past, the government sprayed trees and walls street by street, but now I have not seen this action like in the last eighteen years I saw.”
Meanwhile, officials of the Malaria and Leishmania Control Seminary in Eastern Afghanistan say that people are informed about these diseases every year.
But according to them, the best way to prevent malaria and leishmania is to observe hygiene and use mosquito nets.
Sayed Abdallah Baryalai; the official of this department says that if people follow these recommendations, it will be possible to prevent leishmania.
“We can save ourselves with a strong mosquito net from mosquito biting, or we can save ourselves with a strong fan or a mosquito net. People should know which mosquito multiplies where, for example, stagnant water can provide suitable conditions for Leishmania, and so if we prevent these things, God willing, we will be safe from Leishmania.”
According to doctors, Leishmania, which the people of Afghanistan know as (Saldana), is a skin and parasitic disease that is transmitted through mosquito bites to the people.
Doctors say that every year, thousands of people are infected with this disease, but in very few cases, it causes death.
Translated by: Sadaf Yarmal
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