WHO: Afghanistan’s Health System Is at Risk of Collapse Without Urgent Funding
Tawazon – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Afghanistan’s already fragile health system is being pushed to the brink by a combination of overlapping crises, including mass displacement, the return of refugees, climate change, disease outbreaks, and economic hardship.
Dr. Jamshed Tanoli, Emergency Health Program Lead for WHO in Afghanistan, said during a regional WHO meeting that building a climate resilient health system and strengthening emergency response capacity are essential to safeguarding public health in Afghanistan.
He stressed that recurring natural disasters such as floods and droughts, combined with deepening poverty and the forced return of hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, have placed unbearable pressure on the country’s limited health resources.According to Tanoli, this growing strain has severely weakened Afghanistan’s ability to respond to infectious disease outbreaks and humanitarian crises.
The warning came during the 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, held in Cairo and attended by senior health officials from across the region. The meeting focused on strengthening health systems against climate threats and boosting emergency preparedness in vulnerable countries.
In its statement, WHO emphasized that urgent investment is needed to prevent a complete breakdown of healthcare services in Afghanistan.
