Illegal import of drugs to Afghanistan reaches 40%

Almaty. October 12. Silkroadnews - According to Afghanistan’s Drug Importers Association, Illegal import of drugs to Afghanistan reaches 40% of the total turnover, with legal import of medicines making $700 million per year, the Afghan Telegraph Agency (AfTAG) reports.
The Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, speaking on Tuesday at the conference of the Afghan Medical Council, touched on poor quality of the Afghan medicines and said it is a subject of concern for the government, the Afghan TV channel “1TV” reports.
According to the speaker of the Ministry of Health, the ministry fights corruption in the sector, though the struggle is far from over. He also said, there is only one quality control laboratory in Afghanistan, in Kabul, and this complicates finding of low-quality and counterfeit drugs.
Currently, Afghans spend up to $300 million a year on overseas medical treatment, first of all, in India and Pakistan. 90% of these patients suffer from various heart diseases.