Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan Hosts High-Level Virtual Meeting to Strengthen Health Sector

Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan, convened a high-level virtual meeting with senior representatives from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, including Director Ms. Hanan Al-Balkhi, alongside health ministers and officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting focused on critical strategies to reinforce and develop Afghanistan’s health sector.

The session also included Dr. Hamid Jafari, WHO’s Polio Eradication Officer for the Eastern Mediterranean Region; delegates from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other key health stakeholders. Discussions encompassed expanding healthcare services, controlling infectious diseases including polio, enhancing the effectiveness of polio vaccination campaigns, and mobilizing international support for Afghanistan’s health system.

Minister Jalali reiterated that the Ministry of Public Health prioritizes the eradication of polio and the containment of infectious diseases, pledging to intensify efforts in these domains. He emphasized the importance of achieving health system self-sufficiency and expanding services through domestic funding. While acknowledging the critical role of emergency and short-term aid, he stressed the necessity for development-oriented and sustainable support to ensure long-term progress of the health sector.

Ms. Hanan Al-Balkhi commended the ongoing efforts within Afghanistan’s health sector and emphasized the need for sustained international assistance alongside fundamental capacity-building initiatives.

The meeting concluded with health ministry representatives from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates reaffirming their commitment to support Afghanistan’s health sector and collaborate in combating infectious diseases.