Following an order by the Taliban to completely halt the import of medicines from Pakistan, drug prices across the country have risen sharply, triggering serious concerns among the medical community and patients. Several doctors, expressing alarm over the decision, stress that due to geographical proximity and the quality of its pharmaceutical products, Pakistan has been the most affordable and accessible source of medicine imports for Afghanistan. According to them, even when medicines are imported from India, they must inevitably transit through Pakistan. These doctors further add that the quality of some Indian medicines is questionable, and experience has shown that several countries have suffered losses in this regard.
At the same time, some pharmacy owners confirm that with the closure of Pakistan’s transit route and the suspension of medicine imports from the country, the prices of drugs imported from other countries have increased by around 20 percent. Certain pharmaceutical items have risen to two to three times their previous prices, and following the halt of Pakistani imports, the prices of Pakistani medicines themselves have also increased by two to three times.
Some doctors, pharmacists, and patients in Afghanistan have voiced deep concern over rising drug prices and the growing presence of low-quality medicines in the country. They say the consequences of the Taliban’s policies are borne by the People of Afghanistan, particularly patients. In addition to higher prices, the quality of medicines has reportedly declined significantly, leaving patients facing serious difficulties. Doctors also emphasize that domestically produced and Indian medicines prescribed to patients have led to side effects, with many patients returning to clinics within a day and even directing verbal abuse at physicians.
One doctor in Ghor Province, who asked to remain anonymous in this report, says that in addition to restrictions imposed by the Taliban on health centers, they have witnessed women dying in the corridors of Ghor hospital due to the absence of gynecology specialists and female health workers. He stressed that recalling these deprivations is important because with the complete suspension of medicine imports from Pakistan, the poor population of Ghor will once again suffer more than any other group.
The doctor stated, “Unfortunately, the majority of commercial medicines, including Iranian, Indian, and Turkish brands, as well as our domestic products, lack the necessary quality to effectively treat patients. If this trend continues, the human toll will increase day by day. For some time now, access to Pakistani medicines has been cut off. Most patients who previously used Pakistani medicines from companies such as GSK, Abbott Laboratories, and Sanofi now return the next day with their bags of Iranian, Indian, or domestic medicines, even insulting us. A few days ago, a patient under the supervision of a gastroenterology specialist in the country had shown improvement after being prescribed Pakistani Ulsanic syrup (sucralfate) and Nexim capsules (esomeprazole) for four weeks. However, simply because the medicines ran out and were unavailable in the market, we encountered serious problems.”
He added, “We prescribed Indian Ulsanic and Indian esomeprazole, but at 10 p.m., the patient returned in extremely critical condition. He was struggling to breathe and said, ‘Your medicine is killing me,’ even though the name and milligram dosage were the same. Either the medicine lacked the required quality or had structural issues that worsened his condition. Additionally, a syrup called Q-Ginkgo from India has entered the market, advertised as improving brain function. I prescribed it to three patients who needed it, but unfortunately, all three returned with severe diarrhea, nausea, and dizziness.”
The Ghor-based doctor also emphasized that an Indian company called Poly Fine has introduced a multivitamin tablet to the market, which, according to him, has caused kidney problems and digestive disorders in most patients after use. He said that following the suspension of Pakistani imports, the prices of both domestic and commercial medicines available in the market have multiplied. Previously, Indian esomeprazole capsules (Wonon) were purchased at 68 to 70 Afghanis per pack, but now the same capsules exceed 100 Afghanis. Individuals who had stockpiled Pakistani medicines are reportedly selling them at up to ten times their previous prices. For example, the Pakistani antacid syrup Gaviscon, which previously cost 32 Afghanis, has now risen to 88 Afghanis.
Dr. Nasim Saba, another physician, commenting on claims regarding the superior quality of Indian medicines, said: “India’s pharmaceutical market, compared to Pakistan’s, is far more contaminated by corruption and fraud. Did you not see in recent years that several hundred children died after consuming cough syrups? When the Indian government cannot prevent adulteration in medicines used domestically, God knows what will happen with products exported to Afghanistan. I am sorry for doctors who think about politics instead of patients’ health.”
Mr. Saba added: “In 2022 and 2023, Indian-manufactured cough syrups caused the deaths of 60 to 70 children in Gambia and Uzbekistan. In 2025, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, 21 people also died. The cause of these incidents was identified as the use of diethylene glycol, a substance that some pharmaceutical companies used instead of propylene glycol in their products.”
At the time, the World Health Organization (WHO) also announced that the products of Marion Biotech were substandard and that the company had provided no guarantees regarding their safety and quality. In its statement, WHO said that laboratory analyses of syrup samples in Uzbekistan’s quality control laboratories showed the products contained “unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol.”
Meanwhile, some doctors on social media have reacted to the Taliban’s decision, stating that patients are paying the price for Pakistan-related policies. According to them, medicine is a necessity and cannot be substituted like food products.
Khushhal Nabizada, former head of public health in Kabul, wrote: “Medicine is not potatoes that, if unavailable, people can eat turnips instead. Nor are beans that can simply be removed from one’s diet. Medicine is a necessity that no other commodity can replace. Unfortunately, patients pay the cost by sacrificing their health and their lives. Emotional decisions regarding public health are another form of hostility toward the people.”
One patient in Kabul said, “I usually buy medicines for my father and grandfather every month. Since prices have increased, nearly half of my income goes toward purchasing medicine. Each tablet related to heart problems now costs between 100 and 150 Afghanis, and some medicines have increased by about 30 Afghanis. Every month, before buying medicine, my parents visit the doctor for a check-up, and the doctor adjusts the dosage. Since the import of Pakistani medicines stopped, in addition to higher prices, finding them has become extremely difficult. The doctor advises us to purchase medicines from companies based in Karachi because of their quality. I once bought a medicine from an Indian company, but the doctor did not approve it, and I ultimately had to buy it at an exorbitant price from Hotel Parwan. Now that imports have stopped, I am worried about where we will find medicines, because even last month it was very difficult.”
A pharmacy owner in Kabul, sharing a list of price increases, said that with the suspension of medicine imports from Pakistan, the prices of all medicines imported from other countries into Afghanistan have also increased by around 20 percent. According to him, most of these medicines transit through Pakistan, and the closure of routes has driven up prices. He added that with the complete halt of imports from Pakistan, many pharmaceutical items have risen to two to three times their previous prices.
The Taliban had given medicine importers in Afghanistan a three-month deadline on November 14, 2025, to settle their accounts in Pakistan and stop importing medicines from the country. The deadline expired on February 9, 2025. Four days ago, the group’s Ministry of Finance announced that customs offices under Taliban control would no longer permit the import of medicines from Pakistan. Importers have also been advised to use “alternative routes” for bringing medicines into the country.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
قطع واردات دوا از پاکستان؛ بحران قیمت و کیفیت دارو در افغانستان
