Minister of Public Health Meets with International Partners to Strengthen Coordination and Health Services in Afghanistan

The Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, held a meeting in his office with representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the United Kingdom’s FCDO, and several other international agencies.

During the meeting, the international partners discussed the health and development services, the effective management of resources and assistance, the integration of health facilities in line with the new policy, the provision of health services in accordance with the Ministry’s national policy, the strengthening of immunisation and vaccination programmes, the prioritisation of essential services, and the importance of continued coordination.

H.E. Jalali underscored the need for transparency and strict adherence to the Ministry’s priorities to ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness in health services. He emphasised the importance of sound management of international assistance and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to delivering services in line with the National Health Policy. Referring to recent vaccination campaigns, he noted that the joint measles and polio campaign had been successfully implemented and stressed that adequate preparations must be made for upcoming campaigns. He also highlighted the work of the technical committees regarding the review of BPHS and EPHS health packages and the establishment of a standardised system. Technical partners presented detailed information on the integrated health system and the ongoing review of these packages.

The meeting was also attended by Dr Edwin Ceniza, WHO Representative for Afghanistan, who, on behalf of all participating organisations, reaffirmed their continued cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health. He expressed appreciation to the Ministry’s leadership for its tireless efforts to improve the country’s health system.

Meanwhile, representatives of the participating agencies reiterated their commitment to sustained and effective coordination, stating that they would deliver their services inside the country in accordance with the Ministry’s policies and regulations. They concluded by sharing their recommendations regarding the health service packages.