Select your language
Health worker casualties increasing in Afghanistan
Kabul, 2 August 2018 - In Afghanistan, an increasing amount of health workers have been killed in attacks targeting health facilities and personnel in the first half of 2018, compared to the previous six months, reports Health Cluster. A total number of seven health personnel were killed January and June this year, compared to three who were...
Saving lives: WHO upgrades trauma care services in Kapisa Provincial Hospital
The new emergency ward was inaugurated 30 June 2018Kabul, 9 July 2018 – WHO has planned and supported the upgrading of trauma care services at the Provincial Hospital of Kapisa, a high-risk conflict-affected province. The project, which started in November 2017, included construction and equipping of the emergency ward and the operation theatre and...
WHO contributes to improving tuberculosis detection and treatment in Afghanistan with the support of Japan
Kabul, 4 July 2018 Doctor listening to a tuberculosis patient’s lungsWith the support of the Government of Japan, World Health Organization Afghanistan has contributed to the significant strengthening of Afghanistan’s capacity to detect and treat tuberculosis (TB), a potentially serious communicable disease, which continues to be a major public health...
Ministry urges vaccination as new polio case is confirmed in Helmand
Kabul, 2 July 2018 – A new polio case has been reported in Helmand province. A three-year-old child from Nad-e-Ali district, an area inaccessible to vaccination teams in May, has been affected and will be permanently paralyzed. During the last national vaccination campaign, vaccination bans were in place in Helmand, Urozgan and Kandahar,...
Increased numbers of returnees and refugees stretch health service provision in Afghanistan
This baby of a returnee family was born safely in the Torkham border in November 2017 with the assistance of skilled midwives. Photo by David Lai / WHO Afghanistan The recent wave of returnees and the large number of internally displaced people (IDPs) is posing a further challenge on already stretched health care facilities and health care...
WHO Afghanistan and health cluster partners scale up activities to assist people affected by drought
Mobile team provides health services to displaced people. Photo: David LaiKabul, 15 June 2018 – The lives of a million people are critically affected by drought in Afghanistan. Another 2 million people could be affected in the coming months. Food insecurity and reduced access to safe water are beginning to take their toll in the 10 worst...
Surgical hospital for war victims supported by WHO reports busiest month ever
Kabul, 5 June 2018 – The WHO-supported Kabul hospital, operated by the Italian nongovernmental organization EMERGENCY, has reported the busiest month in its operation's history. In May 2018, the hospital counted 421 admissions, of which 409 were war-related injuries. Programme Coordinator Dejan Panic stated that the organization was alarmed. “We have never had...
“The world’s eyes are on us” – expert group makes recommendations for polio eradication in Afghanistan
Dr Najibullah Mojadidi, Presidential Focal Point for Polio Eradication. Photo: Tuuli HongistoKabul, 4 June 2018 – The Technical Advisory Group for polio eradication (TAG) met 30–31 May to assess progress made towards eradicating polio in Afghanistan so far and to make recommendations for the way forward. In his opening remarks, Dr Najibullah Mojadidi,...
A New Case of Polio Confirmed in Kandahar
Kabul, May 27, 2018 A new polio case has been confirmed this week in Shahwalikot district of Kandahar province, bringing the total number of confirmed polio cases in Afghanistan to 8 during 2018. The paralyzed child is a 14-month-old girl in an area where vaccination teams face challenges in accessing the area. The child has never been...
Ending polio in Afghanistan: big plan, small details
How do vaccinators ensure that every child is reached? Microplans guide the activities of polio vaccinators. Credit: Amarkhil/WHO Afghanistan Every child needs to be vaccinated to protect them from poliovirus. To achieve this, detailed plans are prepared for vaccination teams. The aim is to find each child under 5 years of age – in Afghanistan,...
