Taliban’s Health Ministry Discusses Polio Fight with UN in High-Level Meeting
Afghanistan’s Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health has announced that during a meeting with a high-level United Nations delegation, discussions focused on expanding health cooperation, coordinating international organizations, and strengthening the fight against the polio virus. The meeting included senior officials from international organizations and representatives from several aid agencies.
According to the ministry’s statement, participants included Dr. Hanan Balkhi, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, senior UNICEF representatives, the Qatari ambassador to Afghanistan, the head of the WHO office in Afghanistan, the head of the polio section from the Bill Gates Foundation, a representative from the King Salman Foundation, and several other officials.
Mawlavi Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health, described the meeting as important for enhancing cooperation across various health sectors, particularly polio eradication, and expressed gratitude for the international organizations’ collaboration. He conveyed hope that the issues raised would be followed up with practical action and that health partners would fulfill their responsibilities effectively.
The Minister also emphasized that his ministry is committed to providing quality and equitable health services throughout the country and will continue to develop the health system. He noted that construction of public hospitals in several districts has begun and that efforts to expand services to remote areas are ongoing.
He called on partner organizations to assist in building new hospitals, expanding services in deprived areas, and supporting projects related to cancer treatment and cardiovascular diseases.
Meanwhile, representatives from international organizations, while appreciating the Ministry of Public Health’s hosting, reiterated their commitment to continued cooperation in the health sector. According to the statement, they attributed some of the progress made in the country’s health system to the ministry’s management.
