Country-level Aging and Disease Burden(cont..)

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is yet to start the demographic transition that will just start to be evident in 2025 (Figure 2.1). The proportion of the population 65 years and older will move from 2.1 percent in 2000 to 2.9 percent in 2025.

Figure 2.1 Age structure in Afghanistan, 2000 and 2025

Source: U.S Census Bureau. www.census.gov/ipc, accessed July 1, 2010.

In 2004, NCDs accounted for 43 percent of the total forgone DALYs, with the remainder from

communicable diseases and MCH issues. Of the total DALY burden, CVD accounts for 14.0 percent, mental health 6.7 percent, cancer 4.0 percent, respiratory diseases 2.3 percent, diabetes 0.6 percent, and injuries 6.4 percent.

* CVD:

This is the leading cause of overall forgone DALYs with the most from IHD (47 percent).

* Stroke:

Accounts for 2.8 percent of the total DALY burden.

* Respiratory diseases:

These account for 3.4 percent of all deaths, of which 34 percent were due to COPD and 31 percent due to asthma. Indoor air pollution from burning solid biomass fuel for cooking and outdoor dust are major problems. Most rural households (85 percent) use animal dung as fuel for cooking and over 70 percent of roads are unpaved and dusty.

* Hypertension and diabetes:

No data are available.

* Cancer:

The leading cause of cancer deaths among women is breast followed by esophageal cancer. Among men, the leading cause of cancer deaths were mouth and oropharynx, followed by esophageal and lung. Approximately 22,000 people died from cancer in 2005.

* Injuries:

The second leading cause of overall forgone DALYs. Of the total DALY burden road

traffic injuries account for 1.6 percent of DALYs and deaths.

* Mental health:

A nationally representative survey found that half of the population aged 15 or older suffers from mental disorder (depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder). Women had significantly poorer mental health status than men, in part due to their worse social indicators.

*Smoking:

Prevalence data among adults are not available; among youth prevalence is similar to

other South Asia countries (boys 13 percent, girls 3 percent).