Health
Health services to be expanded urgently for return refugees at Torkham border
Since 1 April at least 44,900 people have returned, with around 58% of them children, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Afghanistan’s health ministry said Tuesday it is expanding health services at Torkham in Nangarhar to cope with the growing number of returning refugees from Pakistan.
According to a statement issued by the ministry, a coordination meeting was recently held to discuss the expansion of health services.
The meeting was chaired by Mawlawi Aminullah Sharif, Director of Public Health in Nangarhar Province, and attended by representatives from various organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and other partners.
The meeting focused on improving emergency preparedness and response, enhancing healthcare support for returnees, and addressing current operational challenges, the statement read.
Officials emphasized the urgent need to strengthen health service delivery in response to the growing number of returning citizens.
As a key outcome, participants agreed to increase the number of health facilities and medical staff at the border. This decision aims to ensure timely access to medical care for all returnees and to better manage the health-related pressures caused by the ongoing influx.
Tens of thousands of Afghans are facing dire conditions in makeshift camps after crossing the border from Pakistan, an Islamic Relief assessment team reported on Monday.
“Many are arriving in Afghanistan without any shelter, food, cash or water, and families told us they had to leave all their possessions – including animals and household utensils – behind as they cannot afford to bring them,” Islamic Relief said in the report.
Ramin Sadat from Islamic Relief was part of an assessment team at the Torkham border crossing in eastern Afghanistan. He said this new wave of returning refugees “is unlike anything I’ve seen before. People arrive in droves, covered in dust, crammed onto trucks, and facing a barren border with no basic services in sight. The first thing that greets them is a harsh, windy storm swirling with dust.”
Tens of thousands of families are expected to arrive in the coming days and months, in the wake of the Pakistan government’s announcement that all undocumented individuals and holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) must leave the country by 31 March 2025 or face deportation.
Since 1 April at least 44,900 people have returned, with around 58% of them children, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan, held a meeting in Kabul with representatives of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and other international organizations.
According to the ministry’s statement, representatives of these international organizations discussed the delivery of health and development services, improving the management of aid and resources in the health sector, integrating health facilities and aligning them with the new policy, providing health services in accordance with the Ministry of Public Health’s policy, strengthening the immunization and vaccination sector, delivering services based on priorities, and ensuring sustained coordination.
During the meeting, Jalali stressed the need for transparency and attention to the ministry’s priorities in order to enhance the effectiveness and impact of health services. He added that the delivery of health services must be carried out in line with the ministry’s policy and through better management of existing international assistance.
Referring to vaccination campaigns, he stated that the recent measles and polio vaccination campaign had been implemented very successfully, and emphasized that necessary preparations should be made for upcoming campaigns.
He also provided information regarding the review of the BPHS and EPHS health packages and the establishment of a standardized system through technical committees.
In this meeting, Edwin Ceniza, the WHO Representative for Afghanistan, reaffirmed the organization’s continued cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and expressed appreciation to the ministry’s leadership for their tireless efforts to improve the health system.
Representatives of these organizations pledged to maintain effective and sustained coordination and to provide their services within the country in accordance with the policies and principles of the Ministry of Public Health.
Abdul Wali Haqqani, Deputy Minister for Health Services at the Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has departed for Turkey on an official visit accompanied by a high-ranking delegation.
According to a statement released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday, the trip aims to acquire new health-sector expertise, assess Turkish medical and scientific institutions, meet with Turkish health and government officials, and strengthen bilateral cooperation.
During the visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet representatives from both public and private health sectors to support improvements in Afghanistan’s healthcare system and enhance coordination between the two countries, the statement added.
Health
Polio vaccination drive launches across 17 Afghan provinces
Officials say routine vaccination remains the most effective tool for eliminating polio and have urged families to fully cooperate with health teams during the campaign.
The Ministry of Public Health has announced the launch of a major anti-polio vaccination campaign, set to begin on Monday across 17 provinces of Afghanistan.
According to Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the ministry, the nationwide initiative will target 7.4 million children under the age of five, delivering vaccines door-to-door to prevent the spread of the poliovirus and safeguard children’s health.
Officials say routine vaccination remains the most effective tool for eliminating polio and have urged families to fully cooperate with health teams during the campaign.
This effort forms part of the government’s ongoing strategy to protect Afghanistan’s next generation from preventable diseases and strengthen public health across the country.
This comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) recently again classified the global spread of poliovirus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the disease remains endemic in only two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The decision followed the 43rd meeting of the Polio Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR), which convened on 1 October 2025.
According to the Committee, Afghanistan reported four new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases so far this year, compared to 24 in Pakistan.
The Afghan cases were detected in the country’s southern and eastern regions, where transmission remains intense despite ongoing vaccination efforts.
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