An Overview of Foodborne Risks in Afghanistan

ABSTRACT Foodborne diseases represent a serious yet underrecognized public health burden in Afghanistan, a country shaped by decades of conflict, weak infrastructure, and limited regulatory capacity. This article provides a comprehensive overview of major foodborne risks in the country, including microbiological hazards, chemical contaminants, and zoonotic diseases transmitted through animal‐source foods. The article also examines Afghanistan's fragmented food safety regulatory framework, policy gaps, and governance challenges. It highlights the critical role of poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, noting that only 33.5% of the population has access to combined WASH facilities. The review further discusses the vicious cycle linking food insecurity, malnutrition, and foodborne illness, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children under five and internally displaced persons. Emerging risks related to climate change, including increased mycotoxin contamination and groundwater deterioration, are also addressed. Drawing on available epidemiological data and outbreak reports from 2000 to 2025, this overview identifies critical data gaps and concludes with strategic recommendations: strengthening food safety surveillance, expanding laboratory capacity, enforcing a unified food safety law, and adopting a multisectoral One Health approach to reduce the preventable burden of foodborne disease in Afghanistan.