*EPF509 03/15/2002
Text: Vitamin Deficiencies Causing Disease in Afghanistan, U.N. Reports
(Massive shipments of Vitamin C needed) (550)

The World Health Organization reported March 14 that scurvy, caused by vitamin C deficiency, and night blindness, caused by vitamin A deficiency, are both being detected in certain parts of Afghanistan.

International health workers have spotted both conditions in Afghanistan as they attempt to track down the cause of an unknown disease that has killed 40 people in Ghor Province.

A bout of influenza in the Yumgan valley has killed 60 children, WHO reports, but the outbreak is now under control.

A master plan for rebuilding the Afghan health system is supposed to start taking shape at a conference getting underway in Kabul March 16th.

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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)

14 Mar 2002

WHO health update Afghanistan

The World Health Organization says that 7 million tablets of Vitamin C are urgently needed in Ghor Province to treat an outbreak of scurvy. A five person medical team, led by a WHO epidemiologist, is currently in the remote district of Taiwara in Ghor Province investigating a deadly disease that has killed forty people. It is still too early to identify the disease but WHO has received reports of cases of night blindness in villagers in Taiwara that seems to indicate a lack of Vitamin A in the local population. It is already clear that there is a widespread outbreak of scurvy, a nutritional disease caused by lack of Vitamin C.

No new deaths have been reported but health officials are quite concerned over serious nutritional problems in the region. A WHO nutritionist is due to travel to Taiwara later this week. Meanwhile, the Action Contre le Faim medical team that had been in Taiwara since March 2nd has been successfully airlifted out of Taiwara and is in Herat. Doctors have examined members of the team. None of them are showing any signs of hemorrhagic fever nor any other contagious disease.

At the same time, WHO has received reports of 6 deaths in Darwaz in Badahkshan Province. The cases entail adults and children who reportedly developed high fever and a skin rash on the face, and then died within 2 days of developing the symptoms. Investigations are being carried out by local health officials with WHO support.

Meanwhile WHO officials confirm that sixty children have died of an outbreak of influenza in the Yumgan valley in Badakhshan province. A WHO team traveled to the Yumgan valley last week to diagnose the disease and distribute antibiotics. The outbreak is now under control with no new cases reported. The WHO team was hindered in its earlier efforts to travel to Yumgan valley because of fighting in the area.

Finally, a reminder that the National Health Sector Planning conference will begin Saturday, March 16th at 8:30 am at the Intercontinental Hotel. This is a crucial gathering of over two hundred international and national players in the health field, including the United Nations agencies, international and national NGOs, and regional and national Ministry of Public Health staff. They are meeting to chart the future course of health recovery in Afghanistan. The meeting will last until March 19th and will be followed by a press conference at 17:30 on that day given by Dr. Suhaila Seddiq, Minister of Public Health, at the Intercontinental Hotel.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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