Special Hospital for Treating Women and Children with Addiction Opens in Helmand

According to the ministry’s statement, this treatment center has 20 beds and provides free medical services to addicted women and children.

The opening ceremony was attended by local Taliban officials as well as representatives from some partner organizations. However, the Ministry of Public Health has not provided details about the implementing institutions or the exact number of drug-addicted patients in Helmand.

This treatment center has been launched at a time when Afghanistan’s health system is facing severe shortages of resources, a significant drop in international aid, and serious operational challenges.

Recent statistics from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicate that around 4 million people in Afghanistan are addicted to drugs, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the country’s population. Among them, women and children are considered the most vulnerable groups.

According to the report, only one in every 18 addicted women in Afghanistan has access to treatment services, compared to one in every 11 men. Poverty, cultural barriers, and a lack of specialized centers are cited as the main reasons women are deprived of addiction treatment.