15 June 2021 – An aircraft carrying 39 tonnes of emergency health, cholera, and trauma kits donated by the Government of the Russian Federation landed in Kabul today to support the strengthening and maintenance of essential health services in Afghanistan.
The shipment contains 100 emergency health kits, enough to serve the various health needs of 200 000 people for 3 months, 20 cholera kits, enough to treat 2000 patients, and 20 trauma kits to meet the needs of 1000 patients requiring surgical care in emergency situations.
“WHO appreciates the generous support of the Russian Federation for this significant shipment, which is critical to maintaining essential health services in Afghanistan. We are committed to delivering life-saving health care to all people in need. This is especially important where escalating conflict is leading to an increase in the number of people requiring trauma care, while COVID-19 is overwhelming the health response,” said Dr Luo Dapeng, WHO Representative in Afghanistan.
“I thank the Government of Russia and WHO for this generous donation, which will assuredly provide relief during these tasking times, especially for people most in need,” said Dr Shafiq Mirzazada, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Public Health.
WHO is working with the Ministry of Public Health to distribute the supplies to health care facilities across Afghanistan in a plan to reach a wide range of beneficiaries, including those with limited access to health services.
“This shipment is just the first of 2 that the Russian Embassy in Kabul is working with WHO to deliver to Afghanistan. We are keen to support the country’s health system, especially during this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic,” confirmed Mr Alexey Pereverzev, Deputy Russian Ambassador to Kabul.
Afghanistan has for long been battling serious challenges to its health care system. Conflict remains the primary driver of need in 2021, threatening people’s well-being, causing extreme physical and psychological harm, forcibly displacing hundreds of thousands of people every year, and limiting access to health services. COVID-19 has further complicated the situation, increasing the vulnerability of various groups such as refugees, women and children.
