Taliban ban cornea transplants in Afghanistan

KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have reportedly banned cornea transplant operations, describing the procedure as contrary to Islamic teachings and ordering doctors to stop performing the surgeries.

The decision has raised concerns among medical professionals, who warn that the restriction could prevent hundreds of people from receiving treatment to restore their eyesight.

According to a report by a British newspaper, Taliban officials issued instructions to doctors to halt cornea transplantation procedures. Afghan doctor Dr Noor Zaman Hashim said the authorities had communicated the ban verbally.

Cornea transplantation is a surgical procedure in which a damaged or diseased cornea, the transparent front part of the eye, is replaced with healthy donor tissue. The procedure can help restore vision in patients suffering from certain eye diseases or injuries.

Dr Hashim warned that the restriction could leave many patients without access to treatment. He said a hospital in Kabul had performed 90 cornea transplant operations before the ban was introduced.

The reported decision has also raised concerns among organisations working to provide eye care to people who cannot afford specialised medical treatment.

A US-based charitable organisation has urged the Taliban authorities to lift the restriction, according to the British newspaper’s report. The organisation’s head said the ban had affected its charitable programme and disrupted efforts to provide cornea transplantation services to patients in need.

The restriction could create further challenges for people who rely on donated corneal tissue to regain their eyesight, particularly those who have limited access to alternative treatment.

Corneal blindness can result from injuries, infections and certain eye conditions. For eligible patients, transplantation may offer an opportunity to improve or restore vision.

The reported ban has prompted concern over the future of cornea transplant services in Afghanistan, where the availability of specialised medical treatment is already a challenge for many patients. No details about the duration of the restriction or any possible exemptions were included in the report.