The spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Health said one day after the International Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action that they are trying to establish cervical cancer treatment centers in the provinces of the country in order to prevent the increase of this disease.

Although the Ministry of Public Health has not conducted a new survey of people suffering from this disease, it says that in 2020, nearly 1,300 people were suffering from this disease.

One day after the International Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Health said that the Ministry is trying to prevent the increase of this disease in the country, raise the level of awareness among the people and establish treatment centers for this cancer in the provinces of the country.

"Through public awareness, we were able to convey to the people the guidelines that we can to prevent cancers. Of course, more work is needed in this area. Afghan society is a society that in the past, even women were not given information about this. We have special centers for treatment and diagnosis in Kabul, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif,” said Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, a spokesman for the MoPH. 

At the same time, the World Health Organization in a report expressed concern about the disease and said that women in poor countries and marginalized women in rich countries suffer from this disease.

“In the last three years, we have witnessed significant progress, but women in poorer countries and poor and marginalized women in richer countries still suffer disproportionately from cervical cancer,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

"It is the HPV virus itself, which is a viral infection that occurs in women, which ultimately causes cervical cancer," said Sonita, a doctor.

"In Afghanistan, HPV can be treated, if the virus itself is discovered, then it can be treated, or anyone who needs a vaccine, must be vaccinated," said Najmussama Shefajo, a doctor.

"Back pain, leg pain, and also some weakness and lethargy, even physical and mental disability are found in women, which are symptoms and signs," said Tamkin Ayoubi, a doctor.

Although the Ministry of Public Health does not say anything about the number of new cases of cervical cancer, it emphasized that in 2020, nearly 1,300 people were diagnosed with this disease in the country.