WHO Representative in Afghanistan Dr Edwin Ceniza Salvador delivering a speech at the World TB Day 2025 commemoration ceremony, Ministry of Public Health

13 April 2025  – On 24 March 2025, the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan hosted a ceremony to commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, marked each year to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.

Key stakeholders, including the Minister of Public Health, deputy ministers and representatives from international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) attended the event alongside national and international NGOs actively engaged in health care in Afghanistan.

During the ceremony, WHO reaffirmed its role in providing technical support for Afghanistan's TB response.

WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Afghanistan Dr Edwin Ceniza Salvador emphasized the Organization’s commitment to enhancing the country's TB programme, stating: “In collaboration with our partners, WHO remains dedicated to strengthening Afghanistan’s TB response. No one should suffer in silence. TB is preventable, curable, and no patient should be stigmatized.”