Alarming Overuse of Antibiotics in Afghanistan Poses Serious Public Health Risk
The U.S. National Medical Laboratory has released a new report warning that the excessive use of antibiotics by patients in Afghanistan has reached an alarming level. The issue, it states, has become a serious but under-recognized threat to public health, comparable in scale to war and economic crises.
According to the report, the rate of antibiotic prescriptions in both public and private healthcare sectors in Afghanistan is significantly higher than international standards. At hospitals affiliated with Kabul Medical University, more than 85% of hospitalized patients received antibiotics—even in many cases where their diagnoses had not yet been confirmed.
The findings also reveal that in one primary care center in a district of Kabul, antibiotic usage was higher during the summer than in the winter, with ceftriaxone, metronidazole, and amoxicillin being the most commonly used antibiotics.
The report notes that in Afghanistan, the use of antibiotics has moved beyond a purely medical issue and has become a cultural norm. Many residents believe antibiotics are “body cleansers,” and self-medication with antibiotics is widespread, even in non-medical situations such as dental procedures where they offer no real benefit.
The study underscores that decades of war have severely damaged the country’s healthcare infrastructure, weakening its diagnostic capabilities and further encouraging the misuse of antibiotics. Other contributing factors cited include cultural misconceptions, unregulated supply chains, and unqualified individuals working in pharmacies.
The U.S. National Medical Laboratory has warned that if this trend continues unchecked, it could seriously undermine Afghanistan’s health gains from recent years.
The report concludes with several recommendations: enhancing antibiotic-use monitoring programs in major teaching hospitals; strengthening pharmacy licensing across provinces; banning over-the-counter antibiotic sales without a doctor’s prescription; and developing mobile health platforms to assist doctors in remote areas with standardized treatment guidelines and antibiotic use tracking.
