Public Health Minister Emphasizes Self-Sufficiency and Improvement of Health Services

Kabul – Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has criticized budget mismanagement in some provincial hospitals and stressed the importance of achieving self-sufficiency in the health system.

Jalali made the comments during a four-day coordination and capacity-building meeting in Kabul that brought together provincial health officials, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. The sessions focused on health challenges, potential solutions, past achievements and future programs.

The minister highlighted cases of inefficient spending, noting that over 150 million afghanis were returned in a southern province while hospitals lacked basic supplies such as screws. He assured that the ministry is pursuing self-sufficiency, including reliable availability of medicines and equipment, and will provide special allocations for deprived provinces. Jalali warned that contracts with negligent institutions would be canceled.

Deputy Minister for Health Services Provision Abdul Wali Haqani said the meeting would review achievements of the past five years, evaluate ongoing work and future programs, and assess conditions in each province in order to improve health services.

UNICEF Representative Tajuddin Eiwali welcomed the ministry's national health program announcement while observing that international financial support for the health sector is declining due to other global priorities.

World Health Organization Representative Khushhal Zaman reported that global polio cases had decreased significantly to 56 in 2025, the majority of them in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He credited joint partnership efforts for the progress and cautioned that halting the eradication program could result in at least 30 million children being paralyzed.

Jalali called for additional health facilities across the country and urged citizens to cooperate in polio eradication. The gathering allowed participants to discuss current obstacles in health service delivery and map out concrete steps forward.