H.E. Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, met with a high-level delegation led by the World Health Organization (WHO)

The meeting was attended by the Ministry of Public Health's deputy ministers and central directors; Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean; Mr. Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director; HE Dr. Mirdif Al-Qashouti, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Afghanistan; Dr Edwin Ceniza Salvador, WHO Representative in Afghanistan; Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan; Mr. Christopher Elias, Polio Program Lead at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; a representative of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, along with a number of other officials. Discussions focused on strengthening and sustaining health cooperation, enhancing effective coordination, and advancing efforts to combat polio.

Welcoming the delegation, H.E. Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, expressed his appreciation for their continued support and stated that, in addition to strengthening efforts to combat the poliovirus, the meeting holds significant importance for enhancing and expanding cooperation across all areas of the health sector.

H.E Jalali added, “We hope that the issues discussed during this meeting will be translated into concrete action and that all health sector partners will effectively discharge their respective responsibilities.” He further stated, “The Ministry of Public Health remains committed to delivering quality and equitable health services across all areas of the health sector and will continue its efforts in this regard.”

The Minister further stated, The Ministry of Public Health has intensified its efforts to expand healthcare and ensure the equitable provision of health services. Accordingly, general hospitals are being constructed in districts across the country. We call upon our health sector partners to support us in the construction of these hospitals, the delivery of health services to remote areas, and the implementation of the cancer hospital and cardiac projects, which are among the areas of greatest need for the people.

The international partners, in turn, expressed their appreciation for the Ministry of Public Health's warm welcome and, while reaffirming their commitment to continued cooperation in the aforementioned areas, commended the progress achieved in the health sector, describing these achievements as a testament to the Ministry of Public Health's strong leadership.