WHO Says H1N1 Spreading in Afghanistan, VOA News, 18 December 2009
EXCERPT: "The World Health Organization (WHO) reports insecurity in Afghanistan is jeopardizing health operations and preventing qualified staff from working in remote and rural areas of the country. WHO says this is of particular concern right now as the H1N1 influenza pandemic is spreading in cold parts of the country. Years of warfare have wrecked Afghanistan's health care system. The country's health infrastructure was completely destroyed by the time the U.S. invasion began at the end of 2001. Since then, with the help of non-governmental organizations, Afghanistan has rebuilt much of its primary health care system. Most of the country is polio-free and international health agencies recently conducted a successful three-day polio immunization campaign. The World Health Organization's Country Representative to Afghanistan, Peter Graaff, calls this trend positive. But, he notes Afghanistan's overall health care system is nothing much to cheer about."
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Related resource:
Afghanistan: Report on current influenza A (H1N1), emergency cases, monitoring of health facilities during Eid Holidays, Government of Afghanistan / ReliefWeb, 30 November 2009
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