Health experts warn that the pandemic could have devastating consequences for the war-ravaged nation. Without a unified response and access to enough tests and ventilators, it risks facing a highly deadly outbreak.
The first COVID-19 case in Afghanistan was recorded on February 24 in western Herat province, when a newly deported Afghan asylum-seeker from neighboring Iran — host to around 2.5 million Afghans — showed symptoms. Herat soon became Afghanistan's coronavirus hotspot as Tehran continued deporting Afghans at an accelerated rate.
Since then, the virus has spread to other parts of the conflict-ridden nation, with 1,092 confirmed cases and 36 fatalities. But experts believe that the number of infections could be much higher.
"The number is on the rise because we have not yet reached the peak of the pandemic," Wahidullah Mayar, the Afghan Public Health Ministry spokesman told DW. "Therefore, the coming two to three weeks will be very critical for us," he added.
The number of people tested for coronavirus in Afghanistan remains very low, with only 6,612 tests conducted so far in a country of over 35 million.
"We have a shortage of tests," Mayar said, adding that Kabul was working to resolve the issue and had received 5,000 testing kits on Monday, with 3,000 more arriving by the end of the week. The Afghan government is aiming to purchase 100,000 extra coronavirus testing kits, but it is unclear if the deal will be finalized due to high demand worldwide.
Medical experts, however, stress that testing is an essential tool in identifying infections early on in order to isolate the patients and halt the spread of the disease.
"Testing has been negligible in Afghanistan, and this will take a tragic toll on the country over the coming weeks and months," Khesrow Sangarwal, the clinical director of the network of North West London Urgent Treatment Centers, told DW.
In addition to a shortage of tests, there is a shortage of ventilators and trained staff to administer the use of the medical machines in Afghanistan. According to health officials, Afghanistan only has 300 ventilators available for the entire country, and is planning to buy 300 more. However, like the tests, obtaining the much-needed ventilators could prove to be a challenge due to high global demand for the machines.
Even if Kabul is able to obtain the ventilators, finding qualified staff could be difficult. "It is not just the machines that are needed, you will also have to train and retrain professionals to use those machines," said Sangarwal.