Health
Over 200 health centers close across Afghanistan due to donor funding cuts: WHO
More than 200 humanitarian health centers across Afghanistan have been forced to shut down due to a halt in international aid, severely disrupting healthcare services for over 1.8 million people in 28 provinces, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in its March update.
According to the WHO, as of March 25, 2025, a total of 202 health facilities have either been suspended or closed following the cuts in funding provided by humanitarian partners.
The closures include 108 mobile health and nutrition teams, 33 family health clinics, 20 basic health centers, 22 sub-health centers, and 19 other health facilities.
The organization warns that if funding gaps persist, up to 80% of WHO-supported health facilities in Afghanistan could face closure by June 2025, putting millions more at risk of losing access to essential healthcare services.
“The disruption is expected to impact around 1.8 million individuals in 28 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces,” the report stated.
It also highlighted that the number of suspended or closed centers may change weekly depending on the availability of donor funding.
WHO has urgently appealed to international donors to support the restoration of critical health services and help prevent further deterioration of the public health situation in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, officials from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have consistently emphasized that humanitarian aid should not be politicized, and have reiterated that the Afghan
population remains in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
This recent wave of closures follows a previous shutdown of 167 health facilities in 25 provinces, which had already cut off access to vital healthcare for 1.6 million people due to similar funding shortfalls.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, has called for India’s cooperation in the standardization and development of traditional medicine during a meeting with India’s Minister for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH), Prataprao Jadhav.
The meeting focused on establishing a traditional medicine institute and a research center in Kabul, cooperation in training qualified professionals, and the signing of a bilateral memorandum of understanding. Minister Jalali stressed that standardizing traditional medicine is a pressing priority for Afghanistan and noted that India’s extensive expertise in this field would be highly beneficial.
For his part, the AYUSH minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting Afghanistan by assisting in the establishment of a research center and institute in Kabul, developing and implementing academic curricula, and expanding cooperation across various areas related to traditional medicine.
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.
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