11 November 2009 – The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan today warns that the H1N1 flu pandemic may affect more people during the looming winter as the disease spreads rapidly in cold weather.

“The disease spreads rapidly and especially in cold weather so we expect the peak in Kabul and Herat in a few weeks, then as it spreads to each province the peaks will come in turn,” WHO’s Country Representative in Afghanistan, Peter Graaff, told the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

With growing number of cases of this influenza, also known as “swine flu”, the Government of Afghanistan declared a state of health emergency across the country, deciding to close down schools, universities and wedding halls for three weeks.

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has reported 779 total cases of pandemic strain of Influenza A H1N1 in the country, including 11 deaths.

Graaff said it is a “mild disease” and 95 percent will recover within one week with no complications.

WHO has advised everyone to protect themselves from the influenza by: not touching mouth and nose with unclean hands, washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or cleansing them with a standard “hand sanitizer”on a regular basis, reducing the time spent in crowded settings, staying at least one metre away from infected persons, wearing a mask in public places, not taking an antiviral such as Tamiflu unless advised by a healthcare provider.

The virus is spread by human-to-human transmission of respiratory droplets, especially from hard surfaces to hands and faces – not from pork, according to WHO.

MoPH has set up isolation wards and distributed very limited supplies of anti-viral medications and protective masks and gowns to 22 hospitals in Kabul and to each of the other 33 provinces in the country.

Two public hospitals in Kabul – Antanee and Indira Gandhi – have respiratory care units.

Other preparatory measures taken over the past few months include: Establishing 176 surveillance units capable of collecting specimens for influenza diagnosis at the National Influenza Centre at the Central Public Health Laboratory; establishing command and control centres and opening of three hotlines: 0798 684 404, 0798 665 085 and 0798 660 829; media campaigns through seven television channels and six radio stations, among others.

Afghanistan is on the list of only 16 countries globally to receive half a million doses out of the first 11.5 million doses of vaccine contributed by the vaccine producers.

“WHO intends to provide vaccine for up to 10 percent of the population so that the health workers and high risk groups can be immunized,” said Mr Graaff.

Website: World Health Organization (WHO) – Afghanistan