Only 4 Pharmaceutical Factories in Afghanistan Meet International Standards

DID Press: Only four of Afghanistan’s 117 active pharmaceutical manufacturing factories fully comply with international standards, according to a Taliban official responsible for pharmaceutical supply and services regulation.

Abdul Basir Qane, the Taliban official, said Afghanistan currently produces around 1,000 types of medicine, but only 400 are manufactured in accordance with international standards.

He added that, of the country’s 117 active pharmaceutical factories, only four fully meet global standards. Another 18 factories have met some of the World Health Organization’s standards but have yet to reach the required level of compliance.

Qane warned that failure to observe international standards in medicine production could pose serious risks to public health.

He also said that an assessment of 115 private hospitals in Kabul found that only two received a Grade A rating, nine received Grade B, and 39 received Grade C. The remaining hospitals failed to meet the required standards.