Health
WHO’s chief calls for ‘engagement’ to prevent collapse of health sector
World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday that the health system in Afghanistan is on the brink of collapse and called on the international community to engage with the new rulers, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
Giving a report back following his visit to Kabul this week, Ghebreyesus said: “In Afghanistan, we met with senior members of the Taliban (IEA) leadership, including the interim Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund. I believe that engaging the Taliban (IEA) leadership is essential if we are to support the people of Afghanistan.”
Ghebreyesus said that the health system in Afghanistan is on the brink of collapse.
“Over the past 20 years, significant health gains have been made in Afghanistan, in reducing maternal and child mortality, to end polio, and more. Those gains are now at severe risk, with the country’s health system on the brink of collapse,” he said.
According to him, almost 50% of children in Afghanistan are at risk of malnutrition and the country is facing an imminent humanitarian catastrophe unless urgent action is taken.
“There has been a surge in cases of measles and diarrhea; almost 50% of children are at risk of malnutrition; a resurgence of polio is a major risk; and 2.1 million doses of COVID19 vaccine remain unused,” Ghebreyesus said.
Ghebreyesus also raised his concern over the exodus of health workers from the country.
“Health workers are leaving, creating a brain drain that will have consequences for years to come,” said Ghebreyesus adding that “We visited a hospital where I met some nurses who have stayed. My heart broke when they told me they have not been paid in three months, but they said they would continue to serve their patients.”
Ghebreyesus also said that education is essential for protecting and promoting health in all countries, both in terms of health literacy, and for building the health workforce.
“The Taliban (IEA) leadership has announced that primary schools are open for boys and girls, and that they are preparing to open high schools to girls. In our discussions we offered to support that process, in partnership with other UN agencies,” Ghebreyesus said.
Ghebreyesus stated that at the moment the WHO’s priority is to support and sustain the health system in Afghanistan.
“The focus of our efforts now is to support and sustain the Sehatmandi project, which is the backbone of Afghanistan’s health system, providing care for millions of people through 2,300 health facilities, including in remote areas,” Ghebreyesus said.
He called on international donors to rapidly re-commit to finance the health system in Afghanistan and said the current pause in funding has resulted in only 17% of these facilities being fully functional at the moment.
He also said two thirds of all health facilities are out of stock of essential medicines.
“As a stop-gap measure, the UNCERF and the GlobalFund are financing WHO and our partners to ensure continuity of health services for the next three months. But this is simply not enough.
“WHO is calling on international donors to rapidly re-commit to finance Sehatmandi, as they have done for almost two decades. We simply can’t abruptly halt support for life-saving health services for millions of Afghans at a time when they’re most vulnerable,” he said.
Ghebreyesus also announced that WHO has now shipped more than 170 metric tons of medical supplies to Afghanistan in the past few weeks.
“We also need a reliable supply chain to be established urgently. WHO was the first agency to airlift essential medicines and supplies into Afghanistan, and we have now shipped more than 170 metric tons of medical supplies,” he said.
Afghanistan is now faced with a medicine shortage crisis due to disrupted border crossings and limited operation of banks along with the stoppage of foreign transactions.
Almost all medicine in Afghanistan is imported from neighboring countries, such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Iran and Turkey.
However, the border crossings between Afghanistan and its neighbors were disrupted in the lead-up to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) takeover, and normal operations are yet to resume.
Health
Afghan health minister hails India’s support, calls medical visas vital for patients
Jalali said India is planning to build a 30-bed hospital in Kabul’s Bagrami district, which is expected to include an oncology center, a trauma unit, and maternal and child healthcare clinics.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, has praised India’s long-standing support for Afghanistan’s healthcare sector, describing Indian medical visas as a “vital humanitarian channel” for Afghan patients.
In an interview with an Indian television network, during his official visit to New Delhi, Jalali said Afghans have long relied on India for medical treatment, noting that the facilitation of medical visas has enabled thousands of patients to access advanced healthcare services in recent years.
He welcomed India’s contributions to Afghanistan’s health infrastructure, highlighting the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Kabul as one of the country’s most important pediatric hospitals.
India has supported the facility through the establishment of a thalassemia center, a modern diagnostic unit, upgrades to heating systems, and plans to provide a CT scan machine.
Jalali said India is also planning to build a 30-bed hospital in Kabul’s Bagrami district, which is expected to include an oncology center, a trauma unit, and maternal and child healthcare clinics.
He added that India has fitted around 75 Afghan patients with prosthetic limbs under the Jaipur Foot program and donated 20 ambulances.
During talks with India’s Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Jalali called for expanded cooperation in medical equipment, pharmaceutical regulation, training of healthcare workers, and the supply of essential medicines, particularly cancer drugs. He said India has pledged to provide these medicines on an urgent basis.
The Afghan health minister stressed the importance of capacity building, including training Afghan doctors in India and deploying Indian medical teams to Afghanistan.
He also said agreements have been reached to cooperate in traditional medicine, including Ayurveda and Unani practices, with plans to establish a Traditional Medicine Institute and Research Center in Afghanistan.
Jalali noted that Afghanistan has diversified its pharmaceutical import routes to ensure a steady supply of medicines and address concerns over counterfeit and substandard drugs through stronger regulation.
He described Afghanistan–India relations as people-centric and rooted in humanitarian values, expressing hope that cooperation in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and medical infrastructure will continue to deepen.
Health
Afghan health officials visit Indian medical institute to expand ties
India has historically been a key partner in Afghanistan’s health and education sectors, providing training, medical support and institutional cooperation.
During an official visit to India, a technical delegation from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health visited the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR) in New Delhi, as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation in the health sector, particularly in the field of traditional medicine.
Officials and senior professors at HIMSR welcomed the Afghan team and provided detailed briefings on the institution’s academic programmes, research activities and medical services.
Discussions focused on opportunities for closer collaboration in traditional and integrative medicine, an area where Hamdard has long-standing expertise and international recognition.
HIMSR’s leadership expressed readiness to work with Afghan health authorities on joint research initiatives, quality testing and standardisation of traditional medicines through Hamdard’s laboratories, as well as knowledge-sharing programmes. The institution also pledged to offer scholarships and specialised training opportunities for Afghan doctors and medical professionals.
The visit comes as Afghanistan seeks to rebuild and strengthen its public health system amid ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges, with an emphasis on cost-effective and culturally accepted healthcare approaches such as traditional medicine.
India has historically been a key partner in Afghanistan’s health and education sectors, providing training, medical support and institutional cooperation.
Both sides said enhanced collaboration would contribute to improving public health outcomes, standardising traditional medicine practices, and expanding scientific and medical institutions in Afghanistan.
They reaffirmed their commitment to developing the partnership in a sustainable manner, aimed at long-term capacity building and mutual benefit.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, has said that Afghanistan is looking to strengthen health-sector cooperation with India, as relations with Pakistan have cooled and the country seeks alternative partners to meet its medical needs.
Speaking during his visit to India, Jalali said his primary focus is combating disease and improving public health, stressing that he is ready to seek assistance and cooperation from any country willing to help Afghanistan in this regard.
“My enemy is disease,” Jalali told reporters. “I will shoot at it from anywhere it is possible.”
He said the purpose of his visit is to open a new chapter of cooperation between Afghanistan and India.
Jalali noted that a significant portion of Afghanistan’s medicine requirements had previously been met by Pakistan. However, amid strained relations with Islamabad, the Islamic Emirate is now exploring alternative options to ensure the steady supply of essential medicines. He added that India could serve as a key partner.
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