Minister of Public Health Meets UNICEF Representative to Enhance Quality and Oversight of Health Services in Afghanistan

His Excellency Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, held an official meeting with Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, along with his accompanying delegation. The meeting took place in the official office of His Excellency, the Minister of Public Health. The primary objective of the meeting was to deliberate on the assessment and improvement of the quality of health services delivered by implementing partners operating throughout the country.

Also present at the meeting was the Deputy Minister for Health Service Delivery, His Excellency Mawlawi Abdul Wali Haqqani. The discussions encompassed a broad range of critical issues, including the performance and accountability of implementing agencies, quality control of essential medicines, timely and uninterrupted distribution of pharmaceutical supplies to hospitals and health centers, the implementation of joint monitoring and evaluation frameworks, capacity building of healthcare personnel, and the rehabilitation and strengthening of health infrastructure.

Minister Jalali reiterated the Ministry's unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and service integrity in the delivery of health services. He emphasized the need for ensuring timely dispatch of essential medicines to all health facilities and urged that corrective actions be taken promptly in cases where delays or inefficiencies are observed. Furthermore, he stressed that the selection of implementing partners must be conducted through a transparent and performance-based process, and that organizations failing to deliver effective and reliable services should be excluded from operations within the public health sector.

In response, Dr. Oyewale reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to fostering a collaborative partnership with the Ministry of Public Health. He announced plans to engage in joint monitoring activities aimed at systematically evaluating the quality of services provided by implementing agencies. In addition, Dr. Oyewale proposed the establishment of a joint technical committee to assess the pharmaceutical and logistical needs of all hospitals and health centers. This committee will play a key role in ensuring the timely, needs-based, and equitable distribution of medicines and other essential medical supplies across the country.