Taliban Officials Warn of Cancer Surge Linked to Fake Pakistani Drugs
Taliban health officials have raised concerns over a rise in cancer cases in Afghanistan, attributing the increase to the import of counterfeit and low-quality medications from Pakistan.
Mohammad Taher Ahrar, the chief medical officer at the General Staff of the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense, told a media outlet affiliated with the administration that these drugs not only lack therapeutic effects but also directly harm patients’ health, contributing to the development of chronic and severe diseases. According to Ahrar, at least 22 types of counterfeit Pakistani medicines have so far been identified in Afghan markets.
Ahrar did not specify whether the counterfeiting originates with the manufacturing companies in Pakistan or if low-quality drugs are being brought into the country by Afghan importers. However, he emphasized that in addition to increasing resistance to treatment, these drugs are a major factor in the spread of cancer.
He described the import of counterfeit drugs from Pakistan as a blatant violation of international humanitarian standards and called on domestic authorities and international organizations to conduct thorough investigations and take concrete steps to protect the health of Afghan citizens.
These statements come as the Taliban’s economic office previously announced new measures to prevent the import of substandard and counterfeit drugs from Pakistan. According to that plan, restrictions have been imposed on Pakistani drug imports, and the Taliban’s Ministry of Finance has been ordered to halt the customs clearance and entry of such products after a specified deadline. Despite the announcement, concerns remain about the effectiveness of oversight and the real-world impact of these policies.
