With Coronavirus cases on rise in Iran, fear and panic grips Pakistan, Afghanistan

The deadly coronavirus which has infected more than thirty countries worldwide is now posing an imminent threat to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Both countries, which share their borders with Iran are now facing a potentially devastating health crisis after a surge in the number of infected cases in the Shiite country.

Reduced transportation to Iran 

According to media reports, Islamabad closed its official border crossings on Sunday while Kabul suspended all travel to Iran. However, experts fear that these measures could prove ineffective as thousands of people — from refugees fleeing violence to Shiite pilgrims to smugglers and unemployed people — cross the poorly guarded borders every day. 

Afghanistan announced its first confirmed case of Coronavirus on Monday. Soon after the news of the outbreak in the country was confirmed, residents rushed to buy facemasks making the prices of the medical produce rise tenfold in the capital. Meanwhile, the Afghan television and radio broadcast has begun advising people on how to prevent the transmission of the virus. 

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After witnessing almost four decades of constant war, the country’s’ health care system is in tatters. The few hospitals that exist lack expertise to deal with the newly discovered disease.  Adding to that, a largely illiterate population of the country has made it even more difficult for the authorities to educate people about ways to curb the transmission. 

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On the other hand, Pakistan, which already has a medical history of falling prey to deadly diseases like hepatitis, polio and tuberculosis is dreaded by the fear of how will they tackle the situation if the virus spreads in the country. 

Another challenge that the nation faces is of scandals relating to the usage of dirty needles and people’s lack of trust in the medical system. Pakistan has reportedly moved quickly to quarantine 270 people near the Iranian border after a group of pilgrims returned from Iran and briefly mixed with other citizens. Also, though Islamabad has closed land borders with Iran, air travel to and from China continues as the latter is Pakistan’s major trade partner. 

With inputs from agencies