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AFGHANISTAN AT A GLANCE |
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Source: United Nations |
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| General Information |
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| Location: Central
Asia. Landlocked and surrounded by Iran, Pakistan, China, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. |
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| Government:Islamic Republic |
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| Languages: Pashtu, Afghan Persian
(Dari) , Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) , 30
minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai). |
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| Administrative Divisions: 34
provinces |
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| EXECUTIVE |
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On 9 October 2004, Hamid Karzai became the first democratically elected President of Afghanistan.
Although the former king Zahir Shah is the honorific “father of the country” and presides over several ceremonies, it is Hamid Karzai who is both the head of state and head of government. The president and two vice presidents are elected by direct vote for a five- year term.
ELECTIONS: Last held 18 September 2005; next to be held for the Wolesi Jirga by September 2009; next to be held for the provincial councils to the Meshrano Jirga by September 2008
election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system used in the election did not make use of political party slates; most candidates ran as independents.
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| LEGISLATURE |
The National Assembly consists of the House of People (Wolesi Jirga) and House of Elders (Meshreno Jirga). The former consists of 249 seats while the latter has 102. Apart from presidential appointees, the House of Elders consists of members from provincial and district councils. |
| JUDICIARY |
The constitution provides for a nine-member Stera Mehakma or Supreme Court subordinate High Courts and Appeals Courts. There is a Minister of Justice. A separate Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission was established under the Bonn Agreement to investigate human rights abuses and war crimes
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| SPECIAL FACTORS |
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- Devastated by protracted armed conflicts since 1978.
- One of the poorest countries in the world.
- Over 2 million internally displaced persons.
- It has a Human Development Index ranking of 0.346.
- Suppression of women's rights for several years.
- Lack of social and health infrastructure.
- One of the lowest life expectancies in the world (40 years according to UNDP) Life Expectancy in Afghanistan is 44.5 years at birth. This, according to UNDP is 6.1 years lower than the averages of the Least Developed Countries
- Two million Afghan refugees in Pakistan before the
recent crisis.
- More than 1.5 million refugees in Iran.
- Presence of several vulnerability factors indicate
possibility of an impending HIV/AIDS epidemic
- In 2004 Afghanistan became the 191 st signatory to the Millennium Declaration opening a window for peace and development. Eradicating extreme poverty, promoting gender equality and combating HIV/AIDS are among the Millennium Goals.
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| Indicators |
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| Indicators |
Estimate |
Year |
Source |
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| Population
(thousands) |
| Population growth (1991-2001) |
| Annual Population Growth
(percent) |
| Population Density (per
sq.km) |
| Sex Ratio (females per
1,000 males) |
| Crude Birth Rate (per
1000 population) |
| Crude Death Rate |
| Total Fertility Rate |
| Infant Mortality m/f (per
1000) |
| Maternal Mortality Rate |
| Human Development Index
Ranking |
| Literacy (Total) |
| -
Males |
| -
Females |
| Increase in literacy |
| People below poverty line
(%) |
| Urban Population (%) |
| Growth of Urban population
(annual) |
| Life expectancy (at birth) |
| Per capita GNP (US $) |
| Population
using
proper sanitation (%) |
| Population with access
improved water sources (%) |
| Health Expenditure-Public
(% of GDP) |
| Health Expenditure - Private
(% of GDP) |
| Physicians per 100,000
population |
| Population with Access
to Essential Drugs (%) |
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| 24.926 | 2004 | UN Population Division Database | | -- | -- | -- | | 3.7 | 2000 - 2005 | UNFPA | | 40.7 | 2000 - 2005 | UNFPA | | -- | -- | -- | | 49 | 2004 | WHO | | 19 | 2004 | WHO | | 6.8 | 2003 | WHO | | 258/256 | 2003 | WHO | | -- | -- | -- | | -- | -- | -- | | 28% | 2004 | UNDP | | -- | -- | -- | | -- | -- | -- | | -- | -- | -- | | -- | -- | -- | | 22 | 2000 | UNFPA | | -- | -- | -- | | 44.5 | 2004 | UNDP | | -- | -- | -- | | 8 | 2002 | WHO | | 11 | 2002 | WHO | | 52.6 | 2001 | WHO | | 47.4 | 2001 | WHO | | 11.0 | 1997 | WHO | | 2 | 2001 | UN |
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| At a glance: |
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| Country
epidemiological profile |
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| Afghan Constitution: www.constitution-afg.com |
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| Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.afghanistan-mfa.net |
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| Ministry of Finance: www.mof.gov.af |
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| Ministry of Communication: www.moc.gov.af |
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| Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development:
www.af/mrrd |
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| Ministry of Agriculture: www.agriculture.gov.af/ |
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| ANBP,DRR information: www.undpanbp.org
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| WorldBank: www.worldbank.org/af
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| Socio-Economic
Background |
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| Two decades of armed conflict in Afghanistan has resulted in severe breakdown of the country’s
infrastructure. The road to development and prosperity for the fledgling democracy remains tough and filled with challenges. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world with alarming development indicators. It is now heavily dependent on foreign aid. |
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During the rule of the Taliban (1996 - 2001), women were forbidden to work, leave the house without a male escort and not even allowed to seek medical help from a male doctor, Infant and maternal mortality rates are high. According to the Human Development Report of UNDP, one out of five children dies before the age of five and one woman dies of pregnancy related causes every 30 minutes.
The present Constitution of Afghanistan provides for women’s representation in both houses of the National Assembly thus enabling them to have a say in Government policies. Despite many changes – the most important being that they are allowed to work, women continue to face repression in rural areas. "With around 36 percent of women participating in the labour force, Afghan women contribute in large measure to the economic development of Afghanistan," A World Bank Although women play an important role in many aspects of handicraft, agricultural, livestock and dairy production, most of their labour is non-monetised. A 2006 World Bank Report report has warned that reconstruction and development in post-conflict Afghanistan will be severely affected unless pervasive gender gaps are addressed. |
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| Estimates |
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| Figures |
| Value | Year | Source | | <1000 | 2005 | UNAIDS Global AIDS Report 2006 | | <500 | 2005 | UNAIDS Global AIDS Report 2006 | | <100 | 2005 | UNAIDS Global AIDS Report 2006 | | - | - | - | | <100 | 2005 | UNAIDS Global AIDS Report 2006 | | - | - | - |
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| Estimated Number
of HIV cases (Adults and children) |
| Adults (15-49 years) |
| Women (15-49) |
| Children |
| Estimated number
of deaths due to AIDS |
| Estimated Number
of AIDS orphans |
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| HIV Situation |
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Afghanistan has only 49 known cases of HIV, however its neighbours Pakistan and Iran have 74,000 and 14,000 cases respectively. This was highlighted in a meeting in late 2005 at a HIV/AIDS Regional Programme in the Arab States. Based on limited (and perhaps imprecise) statistics, whilst the Arab world has one of the lowest prevalence rates worldwide, it has the second-fastest growing infection rate.
Dr Zalmai Ahmadzai, Manager of National AIDS Control Programme, believes that Afghanistan’s statistics could be misleading. According to him, diagnostic capacity varies and the real number of cases may be far higher as screening has been limited to blood donors. |
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| The country however has many of the conditions for the quick spread of HIV infection -- such as high drug use and lack of public information on preventive measures. |
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| Little is known about the factors that influence the spread of HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan. There are many existing vulnerability factors that could fuel the epidemic, which require further investigation. |
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| High Numbers of Refugees and Displaced People: As a result of poverty, lack of amenities and conflict situations, Afghanistan also comprises the second largest number of refugees in the world after Palestine. According to UNDP Human Development Report, 2004, 3.4 million Afghans continue to remain outside the country. In addition, the southern and western parts of the country host nearly 200,000 internally displaced persons Although little is known about the HIV risk behaviours of Afghan refugees and displaced people, such groups generally have little access to information about HIV/AIDS and are often vulnerable due to isolation from their families and lack of hope or the means to support themselves. |
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| High Levels of Illiteracy: In March 2005, a national campaign was launched in Afghanistan to boost enrolment of girls in schools. Although there has been a surge in enrolment, teachers and schools, particularly in rural areas, have been an obvious target for insurgent groups who are opposed to girls’ education and wish to disrupt government services. In early 2006, suspected Taliban guerillas set fire to three primary schools in Nawa district of the southern Helmand province |
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| Other Health Issues: Malaria and Tuberculosis are identified as the most serious health threats in Afghanistan. Unlike any other place in the world, almost 70 per cent of those affected with tuberculosis are women Almost half of all deaths among women of reproductive age are a result of pregnancy and childbirth; more than 75 percent of these deaths are preventable, according to Human Development Report (2004) Report. |
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| Low Status of Women: Two decades of conflict have not only led to a breakdown of infrastructure and delivery of services in Afghanistan, but have also contributed to the downward trend of women's rights. The Gender Development Index is among the lowest in the world. According to a World Bank Report released in 2006, opportunities available to Afghan women in the areas of health, education, employment, legal and political rights were extremely low by world standards. . They lack access to information on how to protect themselves. Although there is little data available, many women may be forced into sex work to support their families. |
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| Injecting Drug Use: Afghanistan is one of the world's largest producers of opium, which is used to make heroin.Easy access to drugscould result in high use of injecting drugs. The combination of poverty and lack of information makes it more probable that there would be widespread sharing of needles. |
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| Lack of a Health System: Much of the population lacks access to basic health services, and there is an acute shortage of health facilities and trained staff, particularly female staff, in most rural areas.. An estimated 40 percent of all basic health facilities lack female staff. |
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| National
Reponse |
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| Government: The Afghan government has taken up initiatives such as designing a Basic Package of Health Services. It has successfully launched vaccination campaigns against polio and measles. It plans early interventions by conducting preliminary surveys at ante-natal clinics in urban areas and rural health facilities. As a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals, the Government of Afghanistan is also committed to combating HIV/AIDS with the goal to halt and reverse the spread of the disease by 2015. |
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| On 3 December, the Ministry of Health hosted an event designed to promote public awareness and emphasise government commitment to preventing the spread of HIV. |
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| The Government has also emphasized on training of religious leaders and health workers, advocacy with religious leaders, media outreach campaigns, and educational tool kit production. |
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| NGOs: The Afghanistan Government is heavily dependent on aid and has many NGOs working in various sectors. In early 2006, the Afghan government decided to de-register some 1,600 NGOs in the post-conflict country. The government has been unhappy that it has had little control over donor funds in the past. During the past four years, the government was only receiving 22 percent of world aid and the remaining 78 percent was disbursed through NGOs, but now the government would directly receive more than 60 percent of world donations. |
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| The move to de-register NGOs has been seen as a move to clean out the “briefcase” NGOs, exploiting the current situation in the country and sapping away aid. |
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| National Strategic Plan - (2003-2007) |
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| UN Response |
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| The UNDP has set up a information library, research and training centre at the Ministry of Health as well as a Voluntary Confidential and Counseling Testing Centre in Jalalabad (VCCTC is currently only available in Kabul) |
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| A first rapid HIV Situation Assessment, funded by WHO, has been undertaken to provide an estimate of the prevalence of HIV in the general population, and among various vulnerable groups. The survey aims to find out more about the existence of risk behaviours that might fuel rapid spread of the epidemic. |
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| The UN has sent 18 HIV/AIDS testing kits to Afghanistan, each of which allows for 100 tests, and has trained technicians in carrying out the tests. |
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| UNICEF has done background work on populations in Afghanistan that are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. The data from both these studies will help the Afghan Ministry of Public Health and its partners to tailor HIV/AIDS and STD education and curative services to the specific needs of Afghans. |
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| UN Offices |
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UNDP ( United Nations
Development Programme) |
UNICEF (United Nations
Children Fund) |
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Ercan Murat
Country Director
Telephone: +93 20 210 1682 - 85
Sat. Phone: (Voice: +873 763 467 625, Fax: +873 763 467 626)
E-mail: registry.af@undp.org |
UNICEF P.O. Box 54
Kabul, Afghanistan
E-mail: kabul@unicef.org
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| UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) |
WORLD BANK |
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P.O. Box 1051
Islamabad, Pakistan |
Mr.William Byrd
The World Bank
Street No. 15, House No. 19
opposite Palace #8
Wazir Akbar Khan
Kabul, Afghanistan
Tel: (0097) 7027 6002
Web: www.worldbank.org/af |
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| Web Resources |
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| Government Website |
| http://www.af/ |
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| UN Agencies |
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| UNDP |
| UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.
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| http://www.undp.org.af/ |
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| UNAIDS |
| UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, brings together the efforts and resources of ten UN system organisations to the global AIDS response. |
| http://www.unaids.org/en/Regions_Countries/Countries/afghanistan.asp |
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| World Health Organisation |
| The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. |
| http://www.who.int/countries/afg/en/ |
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| World Bank |
| The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. We are made up of two unique development institutions owned by 184 member countries—the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). |
| www.worldbank.org/af |
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| National and International Organisations |
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| Marie Stopes International Afghanistan |
| Marie Stopes International (MSI) was established in London in 1976 and grew out of the organisation originally set up by Dr Marie Stopes in 1921. Today, the MSI Global Partnership provides sexual and reproductive health information and services to 4.3 million people worldwide in 39 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. |
| http://www.mariestopes.org.uk/ww/afghanistan.htm |
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| Revolutionary Association of the Women in Afghanistan |
| RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, was established in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1977 as an independent political/social organization of Afghan women fighting for human rights and for social justice in Afghanistan. |
| http://www.rawa.org/index.htm |
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| Women for Afghan Women |
| Women for Afghan Women (WAW) is an organization of Afghan and non-Afghan women from the New York area who are committed to ensuring the human rights of Afghan women. |
| http://www.womenforafghanwomen.org/ |
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| USAID |
| USAID provides economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries to provide a better future for all. |
| http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia_near_east/countries/afghanistan/ |
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| DFID |
| The Department for International Development (DFID) is the part of the UK Government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty. |
| http://www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/asia/afghanistan.asp |
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| CIDA |
| The objective of the CIDA program is to facilitate the efforts of the people of developing countries to achieve self-sustainable economic and social development in accordance with their needs and environment, by cooperating with them in developing activities; and to provide humanitarian assistance, thereby contributing to Canada's political and economic interests abroad in promoting social justice, international stability and long-term relationships for the benefit of the global community. |
| http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/afghanaid |
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| Others |
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| Afghan Development Forum |
| In January 2002 the government of Afghanistan agreed to meet with donors ever year to review
Afghanistan’s development priorities. The goal of this ADF is to move focus from the recitation of past accomplishments by government and contributions by donors to serious policy dialogue around our future strategic priorities.
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| http://www.adf.gov.af/ |
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| Afghanistan National Development Strategy |
| The Government of Afghanistan has established a broad based consultation process for the ANDS. This open and inclusive process will involve consultation with government, civil society, the private sector as well as international partners to jointly identify key priorities for public action that will have the biggest impact on economic growth and poverty reduction. |
| http://www.ands.gov.af |
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| Afghanistan Information Management Service |
| AIMS, Afghanistan Information Management Service has a mandate to firstly build “Information Management Capacity” in the government of Afghanistan, and secondly to provide “Information Management Services” to the government and the broader humanitarian community. |
| http://www.aims.org.af/ |
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| MDG Report |
| http://www.ands.gov.af/mdgsgroups.asp |
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| National Human Development Report 2004: Security with a Human Face |
| http://www.undp.org.af/nhdr_04/NHDR04.htm |
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| Sources: UNDP, UNICEF, UNOCHA, UNHCR, World Bank,
and Asian Development Bank |
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| *The map presented here
is produced by the Cartographic Section of the United Nations
and is copyrighted. Reproduction of any part without the permission
of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for permission
should be addressed to cartog@un.org. |
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