Ministry of Public Health Launches National Workshop to Strengthen Health System and Provincial Coordination

The Ministry of Public Health has launched a four-day national workshop on coordination and capacity building for provincial health officials, aimed at strengthening the health system, improving the quality of services, and enhancing coordination between central and provincial levels.

The workshop was attended by the Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali; the Deputy Minister for Health Services, Mawlawi Abdul Wali Haqqani; central and provincial directors of the Ministry of Public Health; officials from the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI); representatives of the World Health Organization; and the Head of UNICEF in Afghanistan. In his remarks, the Minister emphasized the effective implementation of the new health service policy, highlighting the importance of strengthening internal capacities for sustainable development and reducing reliance on external aid.

His Excellency also stressed the transparent and effective use of the internal budget, improving service quality, building the capacity of human resources, adopting modern technology, strengthening coordination with the private sector, ensuring regular monitoring of implementing partners, and enhancing preventive services—particularly the effective rollout of polio vaccination. He further called on provincial directors to play an active role in controlling medicine prices

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Health Services, Mawlawi Abdul Wali Haqqani, emphasized the importance of joint discussions and noted that establishing a well-organized and effective system is essential to expanding health services and improving their quality.

The Head of the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, Alhaj Dr. Abdul Quddus Baryalai, also expressed his gratitude to all central and provincial officials for their cooperation in the implementation of the polio vaccination program.

At the same time, Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative to  Afghanistan; and World Health Organisation Representatives expressed their satisfaction with the organization of the workshop, renewed commitments to strengthening polio vaccination efforts, and reaffirmed continued support and collaboration.

It is worth noting that this workshop has been organized jointly by the National Emergency Operations Center, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF, and will continue for four days. During this time, key issues related to health service delivery will be discussed and evaluated.