Afghanistan hit by disfiguring tropical disease

The Afghan capital, Kabul, has been hit by a disfiguring tropical skin disease, the World Health Organization says.

The WHO warned that the disease, cutaneous leishmaniasis, threatens the health of 13 million Afghans, especially women and girls.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted through the bites of certain species of sand-fly.

It can lead to severe scarring, often on the face, and regularly goes undiagnosed and untreated.

''The number of new reported cases in Kabul dramatically rose from the estimated yearly figure of 17,000 to 65,000 in 2009, mainly among women and children,'' said WHO representative to Afghanistan Peter Graaff.