The World Health Organisation (WHO) in a new statement has announced that Afghanistan’s health sector is facing significant barriers to delivering holistic services to the Afghan people.
It urged the international community to unite with WHO to help tackle the ongoing humanitarian health crisis in Afghanistan.
The new Alert issued by WHO on Friday underscores the crucial importance of ramping up investment in healthcare services provision in Afghanistan, particularly in the underserved areas where the healthcare infrastructure is severely under-resourced and remain vulnerable due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The global healthcare body added that the revised Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2023 reveals an alarming increase in the number of people in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
As per the plan, at least 28.8 million people in Afghanistan require immediate assistance, up from 18.4 million prior to August 2021.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said, "The situation in Afghanistan is grave, and the lack of resources and funding to support health workers and facilities is putting countless lives at risk. Women and children are suffering the most. I call on donors to give generously so that we can continue our life-saving work”.
Dr Luo Dapeng, WHO Representative to Afghanistan, also expressed concern about the underfunding of the health system and emphasised the need for immediate action, while also taking the opportunity to extend his appreciation to partners.
WHO added that without sufficient funding, eight million people in Afghanistan will lose access to essential and potentially lifesaving health assistance, and 450,000 patients will have little to no access to life-saving trauma care services, including blood transfusions and referrals.
