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.