Photo: WHO

WHO Donates Medical Supplies Worth $1.4 Million to Afghanistan Ahead of Winter

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Health Organization (WHO) has supplied essential medical kits and medicines worth $1.4 million to health centers across Afghanistan in preparation for the upcoming winter.

In a statement on Tuesday, October 8, the WHO announced that it donated 114 metric tons of medical kits and medicines to 166 health facilities in 22 provinces across Afghanistan.

The contribution includes essential supplies such as API-pneumonia, measles, PED-SAM, Interagency Emergency Health Kits (IEHK), and Benzyl benzoate, according to the UN agency.

“This new donation will ensure essential health services for nearly 800,000 patients during the upcoming winter season in areas where heavy snowfall would cause severe logistical challenges during the harsh winter,” WHO said.

“Together with our partners, we are committed to improving healthcare access and saving lives in underserved areas,” it added.

Amid a humanitarian and governance crisis in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, the longstanding health crisis continues to worsen due to a significant funding shortfall, a lack of health professionals, and Taliban restrictions on women.

Earlier, the UN reported that 17.9 million people in Afghanistan need health assistance this year, with 9.5 million having limited or no access to basic health services.

According to the WHO, more than 428 static and mobile health facilities were forced to suspend operations in the past year alone due to a severe funding shortfall, impacting over 3 million people, including 600,000 children and 240,000 pregnant women.

Furthermore, the Taliban’s ban on women’s education and employment has led to a shortage of health workers, disproportionately impacting women and girls.

In recent years, the WHO and other health organizations have repeatedly warned about Afghanistan’s deteriorating health system, saying the crisis poses a serious threat to the lives of millions in need of essential health assistance.

Women and children have been especially vulnerable to the situation due to Taliban restrictions, as women are prohibited from traveling, visiting health centers, or seeking medical assistance without a male guardian.

According to the UN, only one-third of women in Afghanistan have access to health assistance, and one-third give birth outside health facilities without receiving help from healthcare professionals.

The WHO previously reported that around 24 mothers and 167 infants die each day in Afghanistan from preventable causes due to the lack of essential healthcare services.