India Donates $5 Million Worth of Vaccines to Afghanistan, Boosting Health Cooperation

The Taliban administration announced that India has donated vaccines worth five million dollars to Afghanistan, marking the start of new health sector cooperation between the two sides.

Noor Jalal Jalali, the Taliban’s acting Minister of Public Health, said in a press conference in Kabul following his return from a trip to New Delhi that Indian officials have pledged to cooperate with Afghanistan in providing medicines, vaccines, medical equipment, and enhancing the capacity of Afghan doctors.

He added that India has also committed to establishing a hospital and a specialized thalassemia treatment center in Afghanistan with a budget of $500,000; according to health officials, this center will help address some of the needs of patients suffering from this disease.

The acting Minister of Public Health stated that New Delhi has donated a radiotherapy machine valued at $3 million for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and cancer-related medicines worth $1 million have also been delivered to Afghanistan under this cooperation.

Noor Jalal Jalali described his trip to India as the beginning of a “new chapter” in health cooperation, noting that the visit took place from December 16 to 21, while Afghanistan’s healthcare system continues to struggle with limited facilities, equipment shortages, and restricted access to medical services for its population.