Taliban Health Ministry Reports Treatment of 3,641 Hepatitis Patients in Six Months Across 19 Centers
The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health has announced that in the first six months of 2026, 3,641 patients diagnosed with hepatitis B and C have received treatment at health centers under its management; according to the ministry, these services are offered in only 19 centers nationwide.
Based on the statistics provided, 2,355 patients with hepatitis B and 1,286 with hepatitis C were treated during this period. Additionally, essential medications for 3,500 patients were supplied in cooperation with the World Health Organization.
Dr. Haider Khan Haider, head of the Disease Prevention and Control Department at the Taliban Ministry of Public Health, stated that diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic services for hepatitis are available in 19 health centers, and counseling and awareness programs are ongoing in all 34 provinces. He noted that cases have been identified in provinces including Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Helmand, and several others.
Mawlawi Abdulwali Haqqani, Deputy Minister of Health Services at the ministry, claimed during a meeting marking World Hepatitis Day that awareness, diagnosis, and treatment programs have expanded and that the disease is “effectively under control.” However, the limitation of hepatitis treatment services to only 19 centers in a country with 34 provinces highlights the significant challenge many residents face in accessing quality healthcare.
Hepatitis is a contagious disease that, if not diagnosed and treated promptly, can lead to severe liver damage. World Hepatitis Day is observed annually to raise public awareness about the prevention and treatment of this disease.
