According to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) over three million people are addicted to drugs in the country of whom one million are women and more than 100,000 are children.This was announced at the inauguration of the first drug treatment center in Kabul for women and children. 

Already 30 women and children have been admitted to the center which can treat 120 in-patients at a time. 

The 120-bed facility will also offer literacy classes and provide recreational facilities. 

“Patients are being treated in two stages. The first step is detoxification and the second step is rehabilitation,” said Habibullah Sadat, head of the center.

Samira is a 30-year-old woman who has been admitted to the center for treatment along with her two daughters. 

She spent two years at music school and plays guitar. However she did not graduate due to her addiction, she said. 

“I used drugs for three years. Before I was referred to a hospital where I tried to stop using drugs, but after two months, once again I started using. Social workers came to me and told me about the center. I came here and saw the doctors. Then I came here with my two girls. Now I am happy,” Samira said.

Samira is not the only woman hoping to start a new life as dozens of women and children are holding out the same hope. They all say they hope to recover and eventually lead normal lives again. 

“One of my family members was killed and the other one disappeared. Two people in my family are in Iran where they sell vegetables. We do not have a house and have nothing to eat and have no clothes to wear,” said Noor Bibi, one patient, adding that poverty had driven her to start using drugs.

This is the first center of this sort to be established in Kabul for women and children and psychologists will work alongside doctors to treat the patients. 

“In the first three to four days, they try to leave the center and escape. But we speak to them and convince them to stay and to stop taking drugs,” said Marina, a psychologist.

Currently 129 centers are active in the country to treat addicts, but health officials say this is not enough. 

“The resources and capacities that we have are not enough. But we are committed to help addicted persons and that today the center is opened,” said Ahmad Fawad Osmani, Director of Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) of MoPH.