The aim of this review is to discuss the incidence, issues, and barriers to care for women with breast cancer in Afghanistan that can increase mortality in women. Worldwide many people lose their life due to cancer every year. Mortality and morbidity rates due to cancer are estimated to increase in males and females in the future. The predictions are that nearly two-thirds of mortality for patients due to cancer might happen in developing countries due to issues access. Along with mortality and morbidity, cancer can negatively strain the economy and workforce of in underserved or economically challenged communities. Afghanistan is one of the low and middle-income countries that suffer from increased mortality rates due to cancer and its negative consequences. Afghanistan does not have a cancer patient registry and health coverage all over the country is limited. The limited data on cancer and evaluation of the burden of disease in developing countries is challenging. This article reviews data collected from Jamhoriat hospital in Kabul city Afghanistan. It is essential to perform studies on the incidences of cancers in different provinces of developing and economically challenged countries to appropriately formulate strategies and guidelines for the management of risk factors to decrease the burden of cancer on health systems and communities.

The fast, unplanned, unorganized track of globalization in developing countries has changed the course and momentum of chronic diseases, including cancer. In 2018, nearly 18.1 million cases of cancer of various types were diagnosed with 9.6 million cases in low-and middle-income countries. In Afghanistan, as in other developing countries, data on the burden of cancer is limited. The health system models in Afghanistan and other developing countries focus on communicable diseases, malnutrition, and mother-child health. The management of cancer is challenging due to poor health system infrastructures, the lack of data management technology or disease registries, and poverty with the inability to provide optimal treatment to the patients. In Afghanistan, to promote the management of cancer, it is essential to (a) improve capacity building in research and comprehensive strategies in oncology health services, (b) create high-quality data sources such as cancer registries to track the management and outcome of cancer management strategies and (c) allocate financial resources for cancer-related services.Also, promote programs to increase level of health literacy and access to affordable care. Without organized financial resources to support the delivery of high-quality cancer-related services; addressing cancer mortality in developing countries is not feasible. On average nearly 37% to 50% of total healthcare expenses in developing countries are out-of-pocket (World Bank, 2017), making it challenging to create and fund infrastructures for the treatment and care coordination of chronic diseases such as cancer. According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (2022) allocation of financial resources is not proportionate to the actual burden of cancer and other chronic disease in many countries.A survey was conducted regarding the types of cancers in women in Afghanistan using Jamhoriat Hospital Cancer Registry. Data was collected for the year 2018 on women 18 to70 years old. Ethnicities from different provinces in Afghanistan who sought care in Jamhoriat hospital were included. According to a review of the Jamhoriat Hospital oncology ward registry, there were 10,300 reported cases of confirmed cancer in 20018 the number of breast cancer cases was 3062, cervical cancer 694, carpus uteri 611, stomach 568, esophagus 563, and others 4802.

lternatively, modifiable and preventable risk factors such as obesity, alcohol use, smoking, lack of physical activity, and radiation exposure are accountable for approximately half or more incidences of breast cancerStudies show that nearly 50% of women diagnosed with breast cancer had low health literacy skills and little knowledge about their disease. Moreover, studies show that people with suboptimal health literacy have limited knowledge about their health and receive limited preventive care . A low level of health literacy leads to poor health outcomes and increases the financial burden on the health systems. These breast cancer modifiable risk factors can be mitigated through lifestyle changes at the individual level and methods at the system level to decrease the risk of breast cancer.Social media is a term that entails websites and online formats that enhances communities to get, distribute, and create information via communication about various topics. Typical social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube communicate topics of common interest among people and organizations. According to, social media is a critical platform to make health information available, accessible, and affordable to a vast population easily and quickly. In 2016, a survey showed that 1.86 million use Facebook, 600 million uses Instagram, and 317 million uses Twitter monthly. Social media is also widely used via smartphone technology worldwide, offering another avenue of access for prevention. According to, nearly 62% of smartphone owners have used their phones to search for health information in 2015, which shows social media is an a potentially effective tool for health promotion initiatives and the disseminating information to bolster health literacy in the developing countries. Today social media and access to the internet are widely available to populations in low-and middle-income countries with increased access to both computer and smartphone technology .Developing countries like Afghanistan with limited resources need to promote a primary preventive initiative to decrease the rates of cancers in the communities, which is economical. In primary prevention, people have to know the causes and risk factors of breast cancer, and social media is an essential platform to efficiently disseminate health-related information to vast numbers of people. Furthermore, improving health literacy among the population can lead to compliance with screening and seeking care on time. Social media is an effective tool to disseminate breast cancer-related information in conservative communities and developing nations where women have limited access to informative resources. Future research needs to investigate the importance of improving cancer care infrastructures in developing countries like Afghanistan for improved access to care, up-to-date treatment methods and strategies, and access to state of the art equipment, resulting in improved patient outcomes and reduced mortality rates.

Warm Regards,
Alisha,
Journal Coordinator,
Journal of Medical & Clinical Reviews