(BNA): The Afghanistan Cancer Foundation (ACF) said on Thursday that 15,000 people in Afghanistan die of cancer in the country every year. The ACF said that a shortage of diagnostic centers, low capacity and food, drugs and insecurity all contribute to the increase in numbers. “Twenty thousand get cancer annually and 15,000 out of the 20,000 of them die from the disease. Shortage of health centers increased the disease,” said Nasrin Oryakhil, head of the ACF. According to the ACF a lack of human resources to treat cancer patients forces thousands of people to seek treatment every year outside the country. Rula Ghani, the first lady of Afghanistan, meanwhile, voiced concerns about this and said that awareness programs must be held. “The government can’t fight the disease alone, world countries should help the Afghan government,” she said. On the other hand, the Ministry of Public Health, said the closed borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in cancer patients seeking treatment in the country. The ministry stated that lack of coordination between diagnostic centers and the ministry is another challenge. “Challenges exist in the country regarding diagnosing the disease, and the lack of human resources is the other problem that we face,” said Wahid Majrooh, acting minister of public health. The Ministry of Public Health said that a large diagnostic center will be established in Kabul with the help of Saudi Arabia.