KABUL (PAN): Despite fund shortage, treatment of drug addicts would be increased from the current six percent to 48 percent over next four years, an official told the upper house on Tuesday.
Nearly one million people in Afghanistan are addicted to drugs. Of them, 12 percent are addicted to heroin, 25 percent to opium and the rest use other types of drugs.
Summoned by the Meshrano Jirga, Deputy Counternarcotics Minister Haroon Rashid Sherzad told lawmakers that there were different organs working for the rehabilitation of drug addicts, but the Public Health Ministry allocated a meager amount of $3 million for the purpose each year.
He said other sectors should also extend their support toward treating drug addicts and the international community and regional countries should assist the Afghan government in preventing poppy cultivation and drug trafficking.
 
Sherzad recalled only 1.2 percent of drug addicts would get treatment in the country two years back, but the percentage had reached 5.9 percent, which would be increased to 48 percent in next four years.
He said the number of drug addict rehabilitation centres had increased to 104 from last year's 65, providing treatment to nearly 21,000 addicts every year.
Also summoned to the house was Deputy Public Health Minister, Ahmad Jan Naeem, who said they lacked sufficient budget to treat most of the addicts.
He said major donors such as World Bank, European Union and USAID were not assisting the public health ministry as required.
Joblessness and insecurity are other reasons behind increasing number of drug addicts, he said, calling for more attention to overcoming the two problems.
Last year, Naeem said they provided 850 beds for drug addicts at rehabilitation centres across the country, while the number was increased to 1995 beds this year.