Tuberculosis among

women in Afghanistan

Dr S.Karam Shah, WHO/Vice Chair

CCM Afghanistan

Photo credits: Ricardo Venturi & WHO

Tuberculosis: more women affected than men

2,500
The Facts

• Every 30 minutes, an Afghan

woman dies during childbirth
• 87 percent women are
illiterate
• Only 30 percent of girls have
access to education
• 44 years is the average life
expectancy
• 70 to 80 percent forced
marriage- early marriages

Source: IRIN
 Influencing Factors?

• Among the predisposing factors,

based on preliminary research
and observations:

Poor nutrition
• 48% of non-pregnant women
are iron deficient
• 25% suffer from anaemia
• 75% of women of
reproductive age are iodine
deficient.

Source: Nutrition survey 2004

 Possible Influencing Factors Cont’d …..

 Overcrowding & poor ventilation.

 Prolonged contact with infectious cases (working as
nurse in house).
 Female have better knowledge on free sputum testing at
the public health facilities than male (statistically
significant)
 Although 41% of Afghans knew the exact schedule of TB
treatment young female and unmarried have better
knowledge

Source: literature search

All these elements are not conclusive and require further
research. However, they do indicate that high rates of
TB in Afghan women is intrinsically linked to social,
economic and cultural constituents.
The response
• Research with support of
international institutions
being planned
• Engagement of women
community health workers
through NGOs in rural areas
(R4, R8)
• Through the Stop TB
Partnership:
>Engaging women
parliamentarians (R8)
>Women represented among
national Stop TB
Partnership committees and
Board (R8)
The response Cont’d …

>3000 women trained through

engagement of Ministry of
women affairs, community
women committees (R8)
> Women representation in
Patient’s Association (Vice
Chair)
• Strong women representation
in CCM i.e. 1/3 of total
• Young female activists
groups being constituted
(Example 1.2 million young
male, female youth mobilized
on TB Day 2009
Women, as Decision Makers

• Two out of three Deputy Ministers and

the acting Minister are Females
• Woman-Chair of the CMM .
• One of the Governors and PHD are
women
• Women are positioned at good number
of decision making levels in MoPH
Thank You