Epidemiology of major infectious diseases in Afghanistan

To further understand the epidemiological characteristics of infectious diseases in countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and provide basic data for the prevention and control of cross-border transmission of infectious diseases. This paper summarizes the incidences of multi important infectious diseases in Afghanistan based on the results of literature retrieval. For years, poliomyelitis, caused by wild poliovirus Ⅰ, has been reported in Afghanistan, 41 cases were reported only during January-July, 2020, and there is cross-border transmission of poliovirus between Afghanistan and Pakistan, resulting in difficulty for global poliomyelitis eradication. The measles vaccination coverage is low, which has negative influence on global measles eradication. Leishmaniasis is not included in the national notifiable disease list of Afghanistan, the actual case number might be underestimated. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever outbreaks frequently occur with high case fatality rate. The control of infectious diseases in Afghanistan depends on the further social stability and economic development of the country. It is suggested to include infectious disease prevention and control in the health promotion cooperation along the Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative.