Afghanistan Declares State of Emergency over H1N1 Influenza Virus

Minister of Public Health Dr. Mohammad Amin Fatemi announced on Monday that at least 11 people in Kabul, Afghanistan have died since October 28th from the dreaded H1N1 influenza virus.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the Minister has declared a state of emergency in Afghanistan, which will result in the temporary closure of universities, schools and public restrooms for a duration of three weeks.

Sports clubs and wedding halls in Afghanistan have also reportedly shut down for the time being, though they have done so voluntarily. Many Afghanistan citizens are wearing surgical masks as a precautionary measure due to the fact that they fear becoming infected by the H1N1 influenza virus not only because of how severe it is but also because there is not quality treatment available.

Kabul officials are deeply concerned over the fact that the World Health Organization has discovered that there are 456 citizens of Afghanistan who are currently infected by the swine flu virus. Although the death toll is shockingly low at the moment, statistics compiled by Afghanistan's health ministry indicate that as many as 22 percent of the population could eventually be infected.

Representative for the World Health Organization Peter Graaff predicts that the death toll in Afghanistan could increase significantly in the coming months, stating, "The population is poor. Many live in poor hygienic circumstances, and there is a large amount of malnutrition. The mortality rate in Mexico, where H1N1 affected poor people, was considerably higher than in the U.S. or Western Europe."