Afghan Health Minister hails India visit as new chapter in bilateral ties

Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, has described his recent visit to India as an important new chapter in strengthening health cooperation between Kabul and New Delhi.

Speaking at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday, Jalali said the trip focused on expanding bilateral health collaboration and addressing key challenges facing Afghanistan’s healthcare system. He outlined the main objectives of the visit as preventing potential medicine shortages, standardizing traditional medicine, importing high-quality and affordable medicines, building the capacity of health workers through training programs, facilitating medical treatment for Afghan patients in India, and developing professional expertise in traditional medicine.

Jalali said India and relevant institutions made several concrete commitments during the visit. These include the provision of vaccines worth $5 million, a radiotherapy machine for cancer treatment valued at $3 million, five tons of cancer medicines worth $1 million, a CT scan machine valued at $300,000, and support for the construction of a hospital and a specialized thalassemia treatment center valued at $500,000.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Public Health, the visit also resulted in agreements on capacity-building programs for specialists and healthcare workers, the donation of 70,000 medical ampoules by an Afghan investor, plans to establish a research center and an institute of traditional medicine in Kabul, the transfer of high-quality medicines to Afghanistan, meeting market needs, and increased investment in the health sector.

The ministry said these outcomes represent significant progress in enhancing healthcare services and long-term cooperation between Afghanistan and India.