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There are no systematic studies or reports regarding the Afghan people's state of health. There are not that many reports on the spread of infectious diseases, childhood disease and psychological aspect of the Afghan children, women and men. There are not that many, if any, psychiatrist, or psychologist in Afghanistan.
There are not any systematic studies on the psychological and physical state of the rape victims. The needs for physical therapy for war and mines' victims are overwhelming, but there are not that many, if any, physical therapist to help the victims. The state of the Afghan people's health is in dire need of attention and research.
Almost all of the children have witnessed acts of violence during the fighting, while two-thirds of them saw dead bodies or parts of bodies and nearly half saw many people killed at one time in rocket and artillery attacks. 90 per cent of the children interviewed believed that they would die during the conflict.
The tragedy of the health emergency is that the most pervasive problems in Afghanistan have largely been controlled in other countries: chronic malnutrition and preventable diseases like diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and measles. On top of these basic health threats, Afghanistan is also saddled with an extensive network of landmines that kill or maim more civilians than in any other country.
These hazards have an exacerbated impact because much of the Afghan population lacks access to basic medical care. There is a critical shortage of health care workers. Estimates suggest there is only 1 doctor for every 50,000 people in Afghanistan, while the figure for the United States is approximately 1 doctor for every 350 people.
Facilities are in urgent need of restoration, and there are inadequate supplies of medicines, vaccines, equipment and fuel.
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It is estimated that about 1 out of 4 children in Afghanistan die before their fifth birthday. These child mortality rates are the highest in the world.
As the most vulnerable of the Afghan population, children are disproportionately affected by all the major health hazards in their environment. They are particularly susceptible to landmine injuries because they often lack the experience to recognize mines as a danger.
Rampant malnutrition acutely affects children's growth. According to the World Health Organization, about half of Afghan children under the age of 5 are stunted due to chronic malnutrition. More than 60 per cent of all childhood deaths and disabilities are due to respiratory infections, diarrhoea, and vaccine preventable deaths, especially measles.
Diarrhoea in particular kills an estimated 85,000 children a year in Afghanistan and is considered to be one of the country's major health risks. Immunization rates, while very low, are improving considerably.
Less than half of Afghan children have been immunized for measles, but the figure is rising thanks to recent emergency vaccination efforts. More than 80 per cent have now received some polio vaccine.
The maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan is generally calculated as one of the highest in the world: for every 1,000 live births, 17 mothers die. This number takes on significance when we consider that in the United States, less than .1 maternal deaths are reported for every 1,000 live births.
In Afghanistan, a great number of these deaths are preventable. Over 90 per cent of deliveries take place at home, most without a skilled attendant present. Only about a third of the country's 330 districts have a maternal or child health clinic.
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Mental health services are almost non-existent. According to various sources such as Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, WHO, PHR and other organisations’ reports, there are increasing numbers of women and children in Afghanistan, particularly in Kabul who suffer depression, neurosis and other more severe forms of mental illness such as schizophrenia, and psychosis.
According to a study that was conducted by UNICEF mental health specialists who interviewed more than 300 children, ages 8 to 18, in Kabul, 72 per cent of children experienced the death of a family member between 1992 and 1996. In 40 per cent of these cases the child lost a parent.
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