Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy head of the Taliban-led regime in Kabul, recently announced a complete import ban on Pakistani medicines into Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Baradar, who is also responsible for economic affairs, decried the quality of Pakistani medicine as “poor,” while giving Afghan importers three months to settle their debts with Pakistani companies and find new sources of supply.<\/p>\n
But finding new suppliers is easier said than done.\u00a0According to Noorullah Noori, the Taliban’s director general for administrative affairs, over 70% of the medicines used in Afghanistan currently come from Pakistan<\/a>.<\/p>\n The the 2,640-kilometer (1,640-mile) border\u00a0between the two countries has been closed for almost two months due to escalating tensions and repeated fighting<\/a>.<\/p>\n Islamabad accuses the Taliban of providing protection to militant groups such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Kabul rejects these accusations. Peace talks<\/a> mediated by Turkey and Qatar have so far been unsuccessful.<\/p>\n Pakistani Taliban a ‘network of factions,’ journalist says<\/p>\n To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n Afghanistan faces shortages of medicine<\/p>\n “Many medications have become scarce,” activist Lina Haidari, based in the Afghan city of\u00a0Herat, told DW.<\/p>\n “I haven’t been able to find my dermatological ointment, which I used to be able to get easily at pharmacies, anywhere for almost a month. There is a shortage of antibiotics, insulin, and heart medication,” she said.<\/p>\n As a rule, shortages are accompanied by price increases, and local markets are also increasingly selling substandard, expired, or counterfeit medicine.<\/p>\n “It is hard to recognize which medications are real and which are counterfeit,” Haidari said.<\/p>\n More people are now turning to traditional medicine or herbal remedies to treat diseases such as diabetes, putting their lives on the line. And Haidari is not optimistic about the situation improving\u00a0anytime soon.<\/p>\n Taliban look to India for alternative supplies<\/p>\n Despite numerous reports of supply shortages, Taliban Health Minister Jalal Jalali has claimed that there is “no shortage of medicines” in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n The Islamist regime is\u00a0now trying to meet demand by sourcing medicines from other countries, such as India. This week, Afghan and Indian companies signed a $100 million contract for the supply of medicines in a ceremony attended by Taliban<\/a> representatives.<\/p>\n At the same time, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the shipment of 73 tons of life-saving medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies for Kabul to meet the “urgent needs” of the Afghan healthcare system.<\/p>\n This delivery, estimated to comprise three to four truck-loads, is primarily a symbolic gesture for a country with a population of over 40 million.<\/p>\n “Some medicines are in short supply, and prices continue to rise. We are trying to find new suppliers in India, Turkey, or Iran, while at the same time pushing ahead with setting up our own production facilities in the country. But that will take time,” an Afghan pharmaceutical entrepreneur, who wished to remain anonymous, told DW.<\/p>\n Afghans depend on foreign aid<\/p>\n For decades, Afghanistan<\/a> has produced only a minimal share of its own medicines.<\/p>\n A lack of pharmaceutical infrastructure, a shortage of laboratories, inadequate quality controls, and supply chain problems make the country structurally dependent on imports.<\/p>\n Pakistan: Volunteers step forward to help Afghan refugees<\/p>\n To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n Even before the current crisis, medical care in Afghanistan was poor. Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, however, Afghanistan has seen a massive humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by droughts, floods, and economic collapse.<\/p>\n