The impact of COVID-19 on older persons Afghanistan analytical brief --- by Samuel Hall

Highlights

• Afghanistan reported its first COVID-19 case on 24 February 2020 in Herat. Its first death occurred on 22 March 2020 in the northern Balkh province. On 28 March, the Afghan government placed the city of Kabul on a three-week lockdown, which included closing of nonessential businesses and restriction of movement; this was extended to 21 May 2020.

• COVID-19 is deadly for elderly people, people with pre-existing diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and those who are immuno-compromised. In Afghanistan, people largely rely on home treatments and herbal medicines, which are not effective against the virus. Since the pandemic began, many Afghans have turned their homes into hospitals due to lack of testing, overwhelmed hospitals, personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, and inability to pay for healthcare.

Changes in general context

• COVID and its containment measures are likely to be detrimental for the Afghan economy. At a time when the long-term effects of COVID-19 remain unknown, Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs remain significant, driven by armed conflict, natural disasters, and poverty. Although poverty is pervasive across all sectors of Afghan society, crises such as pandemics and insecurity, impact vulnerable groups such as elderly people, women, migrants and internally displaced persons (IDPs), people with disabilities, and children.

• The economy is expected to contract up to 4 per cent in 2020 due to the negative effects of COVID-19 – specifically its impact on consumption, exports, and remittances.

• In April 2020, the United States announced immediate aid reductions of $1 billion for Afghanistan and threatened to cut a further $1 billion in 2021. This will impact the nation’s healthcare system, which is highly dependent on foreign aid from donor countries also grappling with the pandemic.7\

• UNDP Afghanistan estimates that COVID-19 could contribute to a 70 per cent poverty rate in Afghanistan, which would further strain the country's health system and require interventions far beyond what the Government can manage. Estimates cite that around 15 per cent of Afghanistan's population, including IDPs, lack access to hospitals. Additionally, Afghanistan has 1 hospital bed per 1,000 people, which is the lowest in the Middle East and Central Asia region.

link to material: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cfe2c8927234e0001688343/t/5f857ce98108b70047c11831/1602583788535/Afghanistan-Analytical-Brief-September-2020.pdf

link to Samuel Hall Website: https://www.samuelhall.org/our-vision