The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health has unveiled a five-year strategy aimed at expanding and improving healthcare services. Taliban officials claim the program is designed to strengthen medical services, equip health centers, and enhance maternal and newborn care.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s administrative deputy prime minister, emphasized the need to equip medical facilities and train healthcare staff, while criticizing the performance of the former government. Noor Jalal Jalali, the minister of public health, called the strategy a step forward in raising the quality of medical services, while Abdul Latif Nazari, the deputy minister of economy, noted that its implementation could help reduce maternal and infant mortality rates.
Taliban officials made no reference during the event to current restrictions on women’s education and employment within the health sector. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated in a recent report that Taliban-imposed restrictions on female staff affecting their work, education, and freedom of movement have severely disrupted the delivery of essential health services and disease control efforts.
The WHO also warned that funding shortages alongside these existing constraints have pushed Afghanistan’s healthcare system to the brink of crisis. According to the report, financial shortfalls have forced the closure of 27 health centers, leaving nearly 294,000 people without access to primary healthcare services.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
