Silent Tragedy: 16 Family Members Hospitalized Due to Tuberculosis
Officials at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Kandahar say that more than 2,700 positive cases of tuberculosis (TB) have been recorded in Kandahar and Zabul provinces since last year.
According to Sediqullah Ishaq, the hospital’s representative in Kandahar, these cases have been registered in TB diagnosis and treatment centers.
He added that in addition to patients with regular TB, 85 patients with severe forms of the disease have also been treated in these centers.
“Since 2024, in collaboration with Afghanistan’s National TB Program, we have diagnosed and treated 2,700 positive TB cases out of 45,000 suspected patients in Kandahar and Zabul. Additionally, 85 severe TB cases have also been treated,” stated Sediqullah Ishaq.
Zarif Khan, a hospitalized patient from Ajristan district of Ghazni province who came to Kandahar, said all 16 members of his family are infected with TB.
“My daughters, sons, and wife are all infected with TB, and now we are hospitalized here,” said Zarif Khan.
These patients complain of persistent coughing, fever, weight loss, chest phlegm, and night sweats—symptoms that eventually made them aware of their tuberculosis infection.
“I had a persistent cough, fever, chest phlegm, and was losing weight. Later, we found out I had TB,” said a patient, Naqibullah.
“We didn’t even realize how we got infected with TB, but I think living in tight and dark places is the main reason, as we used to live in such conditions,” said Hidayatullah, a patient.
Polluted air, weakened immune systems, and living in dark, crowded spaces are considered major factors in the rapid transmission of tuberculosis contagious and dangerous disease.
Most of the hospitalized patients in this center are women and children.
“I had a cough and fever. They gave me medicine, and now I’ve recovered,” stated Suhaila, one of the infected women.
“We brought my daughter to this hospital in very poor condition, but now she is recovering,” said Sorat Khan, the father of a sick child.
The World Health Organization has listed Afghanistan among the countries with the highest TB-related mortality rates.
According to the organization, around 13,000 Afghan citizens die annually due to this disease.
