WHO says 2.86 lakh people have been afflicted with respiratory illness in Afghanistan

The World Health Organization has announced that more than 2.86 lakh people have been afflicted with respiratory illness in Afghanistan since the beginning of January 2024. Among those, 668 people have lost their lives. On February 24, the WHO reported hundreds of deaths and infections due to respiratory illness in Afghanistan, coinciding with the onset of winter, according to the report. WHO said, the rise in the number of people afflicted with respiratory issues is due to cold weather conditions, particularly affecting children. According to WHO, more than 63 per cent of the patients are children aged below five years, with nearly 50 per cent of them being women. World Health Organization stated that the average recorded statistics of respiratory illnesses in Afghanistan have increased in comparison to the same period from 2020 to 2022. With the arrival of the cold season and increased air pollution, concerns over the spread of respiratory illnesses in Afghanistan have intensified. Previously, thousands of people died due to acute respiratory illnesses in Afghanistan.