Tragic Toll: Over 1,000 Afghan Children Lost to Pneumonia in 2024

Save the Children has announced the delivery of 92 tons of essential medicines to Afghanistan, valued at nearly $590,000, to provide lifesaving treatment for approximately 675,000 people, including 400,000 children suffering from preventable illnesses such as respiratory infections, pneumonia, acute watery diarrhea, and skin diseases. This shipment, the organization's largest in the past year, arrives as Afghanistan faces a growing health crisis, particularly among young children.

Since the beginning of 2024, over 1,000 Afghan children under the age of five have died from pneumonia, accounting for a staggering 88% of all respiratory infection deaths in the country. The incidence of measles among children under five has also increased by 44% compared to the same period last year. Save the Children's mobile health teams have treated nearly 69,000 cases of acute respiratory infections in children across eight provinces in the past three months alone.

Why this matters: The ongoing health crisis in Afghanistan disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, particularly young children in remote areas who lack access to essential healthcare services. Save the Children's efforts to deliver lifesaving medicines and provide treatment through mobile clinics underscore the urgent need for continued international aid and support to address the growing humanitarian challenges faced by the Afghan people.

The donated medicines will be distributed through Save the Children's network of 58 static and mobile clinics, reaching marginalized and underserved communities located 15 to 95 kilometers from public health facilities. In March, Save the Children health teams conducted approximately 86,500 consultations, including treating a 2-year-old boy named Shekib from a remote area of southern Afghanistan who was suffering from dermatitis due to vitamin deficiencies.

Arshad Malik, the head of Save the Children in Afghanistan, emphasized the impact of this medical aid, stating, "The arrival of this medicine means that over 400,000 children in some of the most remote areas will be treated, but more funding is needed to fulfill our commitment to ensure that no child dies from preventable causes before the age of five." Doctors interviewed by Save the Children expressed the need for aid to be assessed and delivered transparently, inclusively, and quickly to improve healthcare access and outcomes in Afghanistan.

Key Takeaways

• Save the Children delivered 92 tons of essential medicines to Afghanistan.
• Medicines valued at $590,000 to treat 675,000 people, including 400,000 children.
• Over 1,000 Afghan children under 5 died from pneumonia in 2024.
• Save the Children treated 69,000 cases of acute respiratory infections in 3 months.
• More funding needed to ensure no child dies from preventable causes before age 5.