Officials from the National Cancer Control Program (NCCP) have rejected reports claiming that 1.5 million people in Afghanistan have cancer.

They say that although the exact number of cancer patients has not yet been finalized, the actual figure is far lower.

The Afghanistan Cancer Foundation has said that more than 1.5 million people in the country are affected by various types of cancer.

Officials from the National Cancer Control Program say advances in medical services and the establishment of diagnostic and treatment centers have meant that only 300 patients were sent abroad for radiotherapy or radiography over the past ten months.

Khalid Ahmad Khalid, technical deputy of the National Cancer Control Program, told TOLOnews: “We reject all the figures and reports that have been published and consider them inaccurate, because the National Cancer Control Program is responsible for collecting and providing these figures. The process of determining the exact number of patients is still underway.”

Mukhtar Ahmad Amir, head of the National Cancer Control Program, said: “We call on domestic and international organizations and countries to pay attention to cancer patients just as they do to other patients. As we know, cancer is a global issue and the number of patients is increasing every day. We also ask them to cooperate with us in the professional training of doctors.”