The Taliban-run public health ministry marked World Cancer Day on Wednesday with a public awareness event, urging early detection and warning that poor diet, drug use and late diagnosis are key drivers of cancer-related deaths in the country.
Taliban officials from the Ministry of Public Health said public awareness was critical to prevention. Mohammad Dawood Mirwaisakai, an official with the national cancer control program, said unhealthy food consumption and drug use were among the main risk factors.
He said around 20 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year and about 10 million die from the disease.
Abdul Wali Haqqani, the deputy minister for health services, said tackling cancer was a shared responsibility, while deputy minister for policy and development Mohammad Hassan Ghiasi said the disease also posed a major economic burden.
Nisar Ahmad Niazi, head of specialist training at the ministry, said cancer was the world’s second leading cause of death after heart disease, adding that early diagnosis and timely treatment could significantly reduce mortality and improve survival.
The ministry said a cancer diagnosis and treatment hospital opened in Kabul last week now provides inpatient care, chemotherapy, surgical oncology, laboratory and radiological services under one roof and serves as a national referral centre. Plans are in place to expand its capacity to 200 beds in coming years.
More than 60 doctors, nurses and pharmacists from across Afghanistan have been trained in oncology, chemotherapy administration and palliative care as part of the programme, the ministry said.
Figures from the World Health Organization cited by the ministry show nearly 20,000 people in Afghanistan develop cancer each year, with around 15,000 deaths annually.
Afghanistan’s health system has struggled for decades due to conflict and underinvestment and has been further strained by the withdrawal of international funding following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, leaving millions reliant on limited public services and international aid.
World Cancer Day is observed globally on Feb. 4 to promote awareness, prevention and early detection of the disease.
