Breaking the barriers to hepatitis care in Afghanistan
According to reports by the ANPASH, in the first 3 months of 2025, 936 247 people were tested for hepatitis B and C across the country.
Kabul, Afghanistan – Hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination, and highly effective and affordable treatments for both hepatitis B and C are now available in generic form. Yet the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that mortality related to hepatitis B and C virus infections is the only instance where deaths from a communicable disease are increasing globally.
WHO has set global targets for elimination of the diseases. But in Afghanistan, where years of instability have taken a toll on the health system, hepatitis B and C often remain invisible. The diseases don’t always show clear signs at first, meaning many people live with them for years without knowing. By the time they do find out, it’s often too late.
Take 52-year-old Bibi Maryam from Gardiz, Paktia province. She thought her constant tiredness and stomach pain were just stress. “I never imagined it was something serious,” she said, lying on her bed at the National Infectious Disease Hospital in Kabul. “I didn’t even know what hepatitis B was.”
What saved Bibi was access to free testing and treatment at the hospital in Kabul. “They treated me with kindness and explained everything. I feel better now,” she said.
Widespread misconceptions and a lack of public awareness result in many individuals seeking medical care only after the disease has progressed to a critical stage. To combat hepatitis effectively, there is an urgent need for education, early detection and proactive health care.
According to reports by the Afghanistan National Programme for control of AIDS/HIV, STI and Hepatitis (ANPASH), in the first 3 months of 2025, 936 247 people were tested for hepatitis B and C across the country.
From 2023 through the first quarter of 2025, more than 67 230 people tested positive for hepatitis B (37 604 men and 29 626 women), and 27 937 cases of hepatitis C were confirmed (14 276 men and 13 661 women).
“Hepatitis is a life-threatening and highly infectious disease that is too often ignored,” said Dr Said Adil Niromand, a specialist at the National Infectious Disease Hospital in Kabul. “Most people don’t seek help until it’s too late.”
ANPASH is starting to change that. Supported by WHO and other partners, ANPASH has expanded testing, improved care, trained health workers on the latest guidance and is improving access to new, highly effective medication.
“We’re seeing more cases every year,” said head of the ANPASH programme Dr Abdur Rahman Shirindil. “We’ve made significant progress under challenging conditions, but to sustain this progress and move closer to eliminating hepatitis in Afghanistan continued support is essential.”
“Too many lives in Afghanistan are lost to hepatitis, not because we can’t treat it but because it is often found too late,” said WHO Representative in Afghanistan Dr Edwin Ceniza Salvador. “We’re working closely with national health teams to make early detection and treatment easier to access, especially for those who need it most. But we can’t do it alone. We call on all partners to stand with Afghanistan in breaking down the barriers so that no one suffers or dies from a disease we can prevent and treat.”
Bibi’s story is just one among many. It shows how access to testing and treatment saves lives. Without ongoing support from international partners, more lives, including those of women and children, will be lost.
Let’s break the silence. Let’s remove the barriers. Let’s stop hepatitis – together.
For more information:
Dr Malyar Kareemzai, HIV Treatment Officer
ANPASH/MoPH
Modaser Islami, Communication Officer
WHO Afghanistan
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