Desperation in Afghanistan: Why Thousands are Turning to Faith Healers for Cancer
Faced with a collapsing modern healthcare system, Afghans suffering from life-threatening conditions like cancer and thalassemia are flocking to Qadri, who claims to cure these diseases by spitting water onto patients.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 24,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Afghanistan annually, with at least 17,000 deaths recorded. However, experts fear the actual numbers are significantly higher due to a severe lack of diagnostic centers and trained oncologists. Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, international funding has largely ceased, leaving major medical facilities like Kandahar’s Mirwais Hospital stripped of essential equipment and medicine. Previously, many Afghans could travel to Pakistan for treatment without visas, but tightened border restrictions have now closed that vital lifeline.
Exploiting this vacuum, "spiritual healers" are demanding significant sums of money and livestock as "offerings" from vulnerable families. In many cases, these healers are reportedly administering injections or antibiotics to cancer patients without medical licenses—a practice experts describe as life-threatening. One victim, Habibullah, shared the tragic story of losing his son after being lured by false promises of a cure; by the time they sought actual hospital care, it was too late. Medical professionals continue to warn that while such rituals may provide temporary psychological comfort, they can never replace the complex medical interventions required for chronic and terminal illnesses.
