‘They work better’: Vlogger says Indian drugs fast replacing Pakistani ones in Afghanistan

Kabul: An Afghan-based vlogger has claimed that Indian medicines are gradually replacing Pakistani and other foreign brands in Afghanistan’s markets, with local consumers preferring them for their better quality and significantly lower prices.

Sharing his personal experience on X, vlogger Fazal Afghan highlighted how Indian pharmaceutical products are gaining trust among Afghan buyers.

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“Indian medicines are gradually replacing Pakistani ones in Afghanistan. Today, I had a really bad headache and went to a small clinic on our street. I asked for Parol, the Turkish-made paracetamol, because I usually trust its quality. The shopkeeper showed it to me and said they had it, but it costs 40 Afghanis for a pack of 10 tablets. Then he showed me another option, paracetamol made in India. It was the same quantity, but only 10 Afghanis. He also told me that Indian medicines give better results than the others they sell. Because of the price difference, his strong recommendation, and my love for India, I bought the Indian one and took a tablet right away. Hopefully, it saves my head from exploding,” the Afghanese vlogger wrote.

His remarks come amid India’s renewed diplomatic and humanitarian outreach to Afghanistan, particularly in the healthcare sector.

Last month, India reaffirmed its commitment to continued humanitarian assistance and long-term healthcare cooperation with Afghanistan, with a special focus on the sustained supply of medicines.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda reiterated this during a bilateral meeting with Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, who visited India in December 2025.

The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said that during the meeting, a symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines was carried out, reflecting India’s continued support for the medical needs of the Afghan people.

A larger consignment of medicines, vaccines, and a 128-slice CT scanner is also being dispatched to Afghanistan to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.