The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The Afghanistan Cancer Foundation has raised concern over what it says is a growing cancer burden in the country, with the organization reporting that more than 1.5 million people are living with cancer and that about 50,000 new cases are recorded annually.
The figures were reported by Afghan media citing the Afghanistan Cancer Foundation and its president, Dr. Shafaq Shinwari. The foundation is officially known as the Afghanistan Cancer Foundation & Organization, a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that works on cancer, health, research and patient support in Afghanistan. Shinwari is listed by the organization as its founder, president and CEO.
The foundation has said breast and cervical cancers are among the most common cancers affecting women in Afghanistan, while lung, stomach, prostate and colorectal cancers are among the most common among men.
Cancer specialist Dr. Rahim Gul Darwish has cited smoking and the use of naswar, a form of smokeless tobacco, along with poor hygiene practices and unhealthy diets as important risk factors contributing to cancer in Afghanistan.
Sharafat Zaman Amar Khail, spokesman for the Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health, has said dozens of cancer treatment centers are operating in the country. He has also acknowledged serious shortages of medical equipment and other resources needed to provide cancer treatment.
Afghanistan's health system has faced significant challenges since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, including shortages of specialized medical personnel, equipment and treatment facilities. Many Afghan patients have historically traveled abroad, including to Pakistan, for specialized cancer treatment.
Border closures and difficulties obtaining Pakistani visas have made such travel more difficult for some patients, potentially disrupting treatment that requires regular follow-up and access to specialist care.
However, the 1.5 million and 50,000 figures should be treated as claims by the Afghanistan Cancer Foundation rather than independently verified national statistics. The foundation's own website currently cites Health Management Information System and World Health Organization data estimating 400,000 to 600,000 people with cancer in Afghanistan, about 19,450 new cases annually and about 14,746 cancer deaths each year.
The Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health's National Cancer Control Program likewise cites WHO estimates of roughly 20,000 new cancer cases and more than 15,000 cancer deaths annually.
The discrepancy underscores the limited availability of comprehensive and up-to-date cancer data in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Cancer Foundation itself says cancer statistics in the country are incomplete.
The foundation was established in 2017 and says its work focuses on cancer advocacy, research, patient support and improving access to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. It also says Afghanistan lacks adequate radiation-treatment capacity and has proposed developing radiation treatment facilities in the country.
